Commercial agriculture:

Investors need subsidies

Charumini DE SILVA

Sri Lanka can become one of the best food suppliers in the world. The country is blessed with natural resources and also human resources. However majority of the country has not utilized five percent of the potential we have in the agricultural industry. Sri Lanka has not tapped the industrial side of agriculture. We need to look into these opportunities in a serious manner to encourage Sri Lanka one of the best food suppliers in the world, CIC Agri Businesses Managing Director and CEO Keerthi B. Kotagama told Daily News Business.

Here are excerpts of the interview with him.

Q: How did you enter the industry?

A: After I graduated from the Peradeniya University I joined CIC as an Executive in looking after seed division in the areas of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa mainly out of Colombo. After four years I went to Thailand to complete my MBA and rejoined CIC after two years as the Corporate Planning Manager. In year 2001, I joined CIC Agribusiness as an Executive Director and in 2005 I became the Managing Director and CEO of the company. Looking back into my journey; I am very satisfied with where I stand today.

Q:What are the opportunities available for professionals in your industry?

A: Sri Lanka is an agricultural country and there is an enormous opportunity for the agriculture industry. The country should now focus on being self-sufficient while targeting the export market.

Sri Lanka can become one of the best food suppliers in the world. The country is blessed with natural resources and also human resources. However majority of the country has not utilized five percent of the potential we have in the agricultural industry. Sri Lanka has not tapped the industrial side of agriculture. We need to look into these opportunities in a serious manner to encourage Sri Lanka as one of the best food suppliers in the world.

Q: What are the challenges you face in the industry?

A: The major challenge that we face is the lack of lands available for cultivation since 95 percent of these rich soils belong to the Government. The procedure of obtaining these lands also takes a long time due to bureaucracy. Investors get discouraged and the industry is not subsidized for commercial agriculture compared to the other countries.

The other challenge is the lack of human resource with proper management skills. Most of the Universities do not provide practical knowledge for students to apply them in real. Therefore, the education system should be more practical rather than theory based knowledge.

Q: What strategies should be adopted to uplift the industry?

A: To uplift the industry we should first identify the problem and address it accordingly while applying proper technology and proper management professionally. The industry should increase the productivity by 50 percent to achieve the potential available in the export market while becoming a best food supplier in the world.

Q:What is your advice to young entrepreneurs?

A: Many in the new generation has an attitude problem in entering the agriculture industry as most of them think it is not reputable like a white collar job. However, if one is expecting to enter into this industry; this is one of the best industries to get involved as it has great potential.

If skills, technology and resources are placed professionally one could even have higher income than a white-collar job. A person who is engaged in the agriculture industry is independent and thus does not read to work under another person.

My advice is that agriculture industry is one of the lucrative industries and it has much scope for well diverse avenues.

Q:What is your philosophy in life?

A: My philosophy is to help society as the corporates are here because of them; especially the rural community of this country. These people in the rural areas play a critical role in enhancing the country's economy in a silent way. Thus, we must improve the livelihood of these people.

Q:What is the place you like to visit in Sri Lanka?

A: I like to visit Dambulla mainly because it has a vast biodiversity.

Q: What is the country that you like to travel most?

A: Thailand.

Q: What do you do in your leisure?

A: Watching movies.