Development of agricultural sector

Top priority in Mahinda Chintana policies:

Ariya RUBASINGHE

Sri Lanka, the Biblical garden of Aden, is gifted with fertile land throughout the length and breadth of the country. Majority of Sri Lankans are engaged in farming and historical records indicate that vast farming communities existed in all parts of the country with giant tanks and dagobas as epicentres of these farming communities.

Development of the agricultural sector received the highest priority since 2006, which was facing setback after setback with farmers unable to market their produce and committing suicide being unable to overcome their debt problems.

Paying due attention to these problems it is stated in the Mahinda Chintana. “My father washed his hands from the waters flawing from the sluices of the paddy fields before signing his nomination papers. Therefore, the terminology associated with paddy farming is not alien to me. Over the past 40 years, I have been dreaming about farmer families in their decent homes, with two wheeled tractors and paddy storage facilities. I believe that I will be able to finally realize this dream.”

With the determination to achieve this objective the Mahinda Chintana has also outlined steps envisaged to be taken under the headings of seed production, fertilizer, agro technology and financial resources, agricultural advisory services and purchase and storage of agricultural produce.

Api Wawamu - Rata Nagamu program

Accordingly, fulfilling the promise given to the farmer community, the government has implemented every possible measure to raise the life standards of the farming community and for the development of agriculture in the country. During the year 2008/2009 period that Western world and many other countries faced an acute shortage of food and food prices shot up drastically.

There were food riots and demonstrations demanding reduction of food prices or provide concessions to overcome price escalations in many capitals. Major food producing countries such as China, India, Philippines, Egypt, Thailand and Vietnam banned food exports. However, this global food crisis was not felt at all in Sri Lanka, even in the midst of the heightened war operations and the people were able to enjoy three meals a day, due to the futuristic visionary program of ‘Api Wawamu - Rata Nagamu’ launched by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the year 2007.

Seed production development program

Api Wawamu - Rata Nagamu has two main approaches right from the inception. One is household food security. In order to ensure household food security, home garden development program was implemented islandwide.

The Government spent Rs 386 million for the year 2008 and Rs 250 million for 2009. The other approach is re-cultivation of abandoned paddy land program. It was successfully implemented in areas including North and East.

The program has given priority for production high quality seeds of paddy, maize, vegetables and fruits. Under this program seed paddy from new varieties BG 366 and H 407, maize seeds of variety ‘Sampath’, Brinjal seeds from varieties ‘Amanda’ and ‘Anjali’, tomato seeds from varieties ‘Thilina,’ ‘Bhathiya’ and ‘Rashmi’ were newly introduced to the seed stream distributed to the public. All these varieties are hybrid varieties. Other than these hybrid varieties high quality seed of open pollinated varieties of other field crop and vegetables are being produced to meet the requirement.In addition, research work on finding suitable pesticides to protect cultivations and to produce high quality new paddy, vegetables and other field crop varieties are also being carried out.

Steps were taken to provide facilities, establish training centres and construct necessary buildings and laboratories for Rice Research Centres at Balangoda, Ambalangoda, Labuduwa and Sammanthurai. A new program Community Based Seed Production Program is scheduled to be implemented in 2011 to increase to quantity of quality seed material available to the farmer.

Media programs

It is highly important to enlighten the public about the programs being implemented by the Government in the agricultural sector, expected benefits from these programs about how the masses and the farming community could contribute to these programs and why they should be partners in these programs.

This objective can only be implemented through the television institutions, radio stations and other printed media institutions. Therefore, numerous programs were implemented through media institutes to get this objective fulfilled.

These activities were launched from 2006 itself and in that year 375 TV programs, eight exhibitions and 540 distribution of print material, handbills and holding training programs were implemented.

To be continued