Developing agriculture
Over two-thirds of the population lives in rural
areas. Agriculture is their main occupation. Thus, developing
agriculture would result in the uplift of the living conditions
in the rural areas. It would also go a long way in reducing the
incidence of poverty.
We wish to discuss several issues pertaining to agriculture,
especially those that hinder its development. Though nearly
one-third of the labour force is engaged in agriculture its
contribution to the national economy is only one-eighth of the
Gross Domestic Product. Obviously the productivity in
agriculture is relatively low.
The low productivity is conspicuous in both paddy cultivation
and in the tea plantations. While the former directly affects
the living standards of the masses, the latter affects export
income and living standards in the estate sector.
In both these cases raising productivity depends on the
development of R & D. Unfortunately we do not spend enough on
it. The increase in paddy yields has come mostly as a result of
using chemical fertilizers which in the long run leads to soil
degradation and many other negative effects. We are yet to
develop high yielding rice varieties that are sustainable and
that could be suitable for organic farming, a practice that
could be the norm in the future. Of course, it was practised in
Sri Lanka in ancient times when the country was a granary of the
east.
Rice research in the world is progressing rapidly. New
varieties of rice that could withstand climatic conditions as
drought or excess water have been found. Since floods usually
destroy our rice crops research should be focused on developing
flood or water resistant varieties that suit our conditions.
We could also use advances in bio-technology and genetics to
improve productivity in agriculture. This entails developing
sufficient human resources for the purpose and allocating funds.
The Universities and agricultural research institutions have
much to do in this regard. A perennial problem they face is the
lack of funds. Why not pool their resources and organize joint
research? Collaborating with neighbouring countries within the
framework of SAARC or bilateral and multilateral agreements is
also another avenue to be looked into.
Unfortunately, private sector has shown reluctance and
lethargy in investing in agriculture and agro-based industries
and livestock farming despite several concessions offered by the
Government. Compared to its role in other sectors of the
economy, the "engine of growth" has been a sleeping partner in
agricultural development.
Another factor responsible for the low productivity in
agriculture is the low level of technology utilized. Application
of modern technology in an appropriate scale could reduce cost
of production. It could also attract youth who are reluctant to
engage in agriculture in the old way.
Being a country with a small home market, it is imperative
for us to produce goods for the external market. In the
international markets it is competitiveness that matters. That
is why even in the case of traditional plantation crops like tea
and rubber we have to produce value added products rather than
exporting raw produce. In the case of tea brand, development is
very essential since Sri Lankan tea has to compete with several
competitors. Our main earnings at present come from export of
low grown tea to Middle Eastern and east European markets. We
have to regain the European market for high grown teas.
Though Sri Lanka is basically an agricultural country, it has
not received proper attention even after independence from
colonial rule. This is seen in the mismatch between education
and human resource needs of agriculture and agro-based
industries. It is often said that University graduates find it
difficult to find employment due to the drawbacks in the
curricula or preponderance of arts and humanities among the
graduates. There is also another side. It is the lack of
employment opportunities in agriculture and related activities
for agricultural graduates. We find many agricultural graduates
switching over to other academic spheres such as general
management and abandoning any prospect of applying into practice
what they had learnt in the University. In fact, this mismatch
extends to graduates in other subjects too. The reason is the
near stagnation of our agriculture and industry. If they develop
they are sure to branch out in new directions creating many new
job opportunities. It is necessary to see both sides of the
picture.
This could be rectified only through a holistic approach to
planning and planning education as part of a general overall
development strategy for the country. |