Well done

The decision taken by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to grant the fertilizer subsidy across the board is indeed a welcome move given the large-scale destruction caused to all agricultural crops in the latest flood disaster.

Earlier the fertilizer subsidy was extended to only paddy and tea, rubber cultivation while the vegetable farmer was overlooked. This smacked of an injustice since the vegetable farmer made no mean contribution to a wholesome meal in the Sri Lankan context.

There is no way rice could be consumed without accompaniments. No one would eat plain rice. Besides vegetables supply the main nutrients to the body and today vegetarianism is a growing trend among the larger populace. Therefore it is only right that the vegetable farmer too is given his due.

Some would say the paddy farmer only encounters floods and droughts but the vegetable farmer has to contend with the wild animal menace too which destroys his crops. The current human elephant conflict has resulted in damage to large acres of vegetable plots particularly in the North Central Province leaving the vegetable farmer destitute.

Not only the vegetable farmer steps should also be taken to alleviate the conditions of the fruit cultivators who too suffer from the elements. They too should be given subsidies and other relief. Today locally grown fruits have little demand in the market with the imported fruits such as oranges and apples holding sway.

Most of these imported fruits also pose a health risk since they are artificially ripened and injected with certain substances to make them tempting and attractive.

The people should be encouraged to go for locally grown fruits. Steps should be taken to revive the cultivation of the famous Bibile oranges which for some reason became extinct. Now that there is free commuting to the North the people of the South should be given the opportunity to enjoy the bountiful fruits and vegetable harvests from the North known for their delicious flavour.

With the long neglected vegetable farmer now being granted the fertilizer subsidy measures should also be taken to increase production and also provide other assistance enabling the vegetable farmer to obtain a reasonable price for his produce.

Today vegetable prices have sky rocketed in the market partly due to the floods but also due to the intermediate costs as a result of the presence of the middlemen. The tendency of people not to consume certain vegetables particularly the leafy ones fearing contamination due to the floods have also hit the vegetable farmer badly.

When considering the vegetable farmer the plight of the potato farmer too should be considered. The Potato farmers of Uva and Nuwara Eliya have always had grievances which are vocally voiced by politicians in Parliament but they still remain unaddressed. Unlike the paddy farmer the potato farmer does not receive much attention and has to contend with many hardships ranging from preserving his crops from spoiling to the drop in the market price due to imports. Sometimes entire consignments of potatoes are discarded even before they leave the point of origin leaving the potato farmer destitute. More research should be carried to produce seed potatoes with a longer lifespan thus minimising risk and also create hybrid varieties.

There may not be an immediate impact of the subsidy on the price of vegetables due to the flood devastation of vegetable cultivations. But with the passage of time vegetable prices would certainly see a drop from the present high prices in the market.

The decision by the President to grant all farmers in the flood affected areas seeds free of charge too is the right one. This will allow the farmers who are already reeling under trauma of loosing their crops the opportunity to resume their cultivations without incurring additional costs.

Vegetable growers both upcountry and low country always harboured grievances mainly that they were not receiving the State's bountiful assistance extended to the paddy farmer. Also while there were Government warehouses to store surplus paddy ensuring the paddy farmer did not lose his income the fruit and vegetable farmer had always to contend with spoilage and other vagaries affecting their produce.

There is also the middlemen who exploit this segment denying them the true rewards of their labour. Considering all this factors more attention should be paid on the vegetable farmer than was done in the past. A start has been made and such assistance should be taken forward to ensure the vegetable farmers too receive equal treatment and are duly rewarded for their toil.