RICE:

Economic boom or bust?

Part II

Bojoon.com and CIC has teamed up to review
one of the most controversial debates of Sri Lanka
- is rice as an industry worth the effort?

The discussion so far:

Rice as an industry comes under heavy fire as an unprofitable venture notes Dr. Sumith Abeysiriwardena - Senior Consultant Researcher of CIC Agri Businesses. Yet, he points out, instead of being abandoned as such, rice production over the last six decades has increased by 12 times!

He continues that as the staple of 140 countries, and consumed by 180 more countries, there is a tremendous demand for rice. As a crop, this is the easiest grain to handle, especially in terms of storage. Also, rice cultivating is the only use that can be made out of marshy lands.

Due to the high technology and the unique hydraulic systems of Sri Lanka, our production is very high - almost as high as the highest producer of the region, Indonesia.

The discussion continues:

This mindset of rice as an unprofitable venture created in the local mind in the face of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary spells deeper, hidden currents asserts Dr. Abeywardena. A quick visit to our history would show that rice was not only our staple, but also our stronghold against our many enemies.

He reminds the classic example of Kandyan Kingdom's invincibility against adverse European forces. For nearly two centuries, these forces were tenaciously trying to overcome the Kandyan might.

Yet, the stranglehold first laid slowly by the Portuguese and then more forcibly by the Dutch did not weaken the Kandyan Kingdom.

While the ring of high mountains acted as a natural fortification, the Kandyan Kingdom managed to remain independent and self-sustainable even though it was under siege for a very long time. As these European forces surrounded the littoral of the Island, Kandy increasingly became an isolated Kingdom - lost and inaccessible to the rest of the world.

The Kandyan Kingdom was still able to withstand this tremendous pressure because of its rice, points out Dr. Abeywardena. People had enough to eat and as Sir Jennings notes the Sri Lankan man is a creature with simple needs. Thus, it was very difficult for these invaders to humble the Kandyan man. Time and again they tried to destroy the paddy fields, but were only successful to a degree around the bordering regions.

These areas however quickly recovered from any damage for they got a good support system from the Kandyan Kingdom.

The British who studied the failures of their predecessors knew that the only way to invade would be through a political dissent. Having successfully engineered such a discord they managed a foothold into the Kandyan region.

However, when fighting broke out three years later between the British and the Kandyan leaders, the British were fast losing their foothold until they destroyed Wellassa. 'Wellassa' Dr. Abeywardena breaks down to well meaning paddy fields + lakssa meaning one lakh (one hundred thousand).

Thus, Wellassa was a region that had one hundred thousand paddy fields. It was only when these one hundred thousand paddy fields were destroyed that the Kandyan fighters were forced to surrender.

After that the British as occupiers or as they liked to call themselves the 'Colonial Masters' made sure that rice industry was destroyed. They deliberately took many policies to ensure the destruction of the rice industry. For instance, says Dr. Abeywardena, they directed the fertilizer wastage from their plantations directly onto the water streams feeding the paddy fields. They also began to promote wheat-based products to the local consumer.

When we regained our independence, notes Dr. Abeywardena, we had a population of only 6 million and had vast expanse of free land for cultivation, yet imported 60% of our needs. Therefore, for a long time even after regaining our independence we remained dependent on these foreign forces for our survival.

Join us next Friday as bojoon.com unravels with CIC many mysteries and misinterpretations surrounding rice cultivation in Sri Lanka. Share your own opinion by simply dropping an email to [email protected]. For more information of who we are, do visit www.bojoon.com