Even though about six months ago, the Government took a historical decision to make Sri Lanka one of the first countries to go 100% organic, as time passes by, more than concrete steps in that direction, what the country sees is poor implementation of this ambitious plan. In fact, there is great uncertainty among farmers as to whether the Government had a proper plan in the first place, and concerns as to why farmers were hardly involved when making this decision, being the main stakeholders.
After the commencement of the Maha Season, farmers’ groups alleged that despite agricultural authorities’ promises to ensure the systematic and adequate provision of fertilisers to start the Maha Season cultivation, they have had to deal with a severe shortage of fertiliser. This allegation comes after many similar allegations, one regarding a shortage as well as others regarding hoarding and overpricing of fertilisers in the country, were levelled between the time the Government announced switching to organic fertilisers to the present day. Other plans, such as importing organic fertilisers from China to help smoothen the transition from chemical fertilisers to organic fertilisers, have also come under fire, resulting in the rescinding of said plan while importing the same from India has been approved.
As a matter of fact, that is what is missing from this plan – a plan to facilitate a smooth transition for the agriculture sector. Apart from the initial Rs. 1 billion having been allocated to promote organic fertiliser and agriculture under this move, and claims that this transition is expected to be completed by 2025, there has not been much information about how exactly the Government is planning to go organic. However, there is a question as to the role the importation of organic fertilisers plays in this transition, and how long the Government will have to do it, as it goes against one of the goals of the decision to go organic – curtailing foreign currency outflow.
In regard to the measures to smoothen this transition, a study done by local think tank Verité Research had concluded that even though 64% of farmers who participated in the study had liked the idea of adopting a 100% organic agriculture-based culture, 78% of them had opined that they need more than a year to transition. If the planning phase had focused on farmers’ concerns, perhaps that would have changed the implementation of this programme.
Other concerns, such as educating farmers, soil management, the change in the quality and quantity in yield, and the economic aspects of this decision, are other crucial matters that should have been planned before making the decision to go organic. The growing fertiliser mafia, according to Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, is another issue that has been created as a result of this decision.
This situation, or the unpleasant developments it is likely to lead to, is tragic not only because Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector seems to be descending into a crisis, but due to the fact that these consequences were not unpredictable. In fact, the issues the farming community may have to face due to the lack of planning were raised by farmers’ groups immediately after the President announced the decision. Said decision being hasty and therefore poorly planned, in fact, was the main issue flagged by most who commented on it.
Early planning is actually a big deal, not only due to the revolutionary nature of the decision to go organic, but also due to the number of people, i.e. farmers, who are affected by this decision. According to the World of Organic Agriculture 2020, published by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement, only 2.8% of Sri Lanka’s total agricultural land is organic, leading us to the conclusion that farmers of 97.2% agricultural land will experience a direct impact of the decision to go organic and the poor planning it involves. Even though the actual number of agricultural land practising organic farming methods may vary, it would still be extremely high.
Sri Lanka announced the 100% organic move just a few months ago, and the bottom line is, it is not too late to understand and address the flaws that keep showing up, and to take into account facts that were not considered when this decision was taken. At a time when the country is facing a shortage of several essential food items, giving farmers’ voices more attention would change a lot of things for the agriculture sector as well as consumers.
Going green, or going hungry?
06 Oct 2021
Going green, or going hungry?
06 Oct 2021
Even though about six months ago, the Government took a historical decision to make Sri Lanka one of the first countries to go 100% organic, as time passes by, more than concrete steps in that direction, what the country sees is poor implementation of this ambitious plan. In fact, there is great uncertainty among farmers as to whether the Government had a proper plan in the first place, and concerns as to why farmers were hardly involved when making this decision, being the main stakeholders.
After the commencement of the Maha Season, farmers’ groups alleged that despite agricultural authorities’ promises to ensure the systematic and adequate provision of fertilisers to start the Maha Season cultivation, they have had to deal with a severe shortage of fertiliser. This allegation comes after many similar allegations, one regarding a shortage as well as others regarding hoarding and overpricing of fertilisers in the country, were levelled between the time the Government announced switching to organic fertilisers to the present day. Other plans, such as importing organic fertilisers from China to help smoothen the transition from chemical fertilisers to organic fertilisers, have also come under fire, resulting in the rescinding of said plan while importing the same from India has been approved.
As a matter of fact, that is what is missing from this plan – a plan to facilitate a smooth transition for the agriculture sector. Apart from the initial Rs. 1 billion having been allocated to promote organic fertiliser and agriculture under this move, and claims that this transition is expected to be completed by 2025, there has not been much information about how exactly the Government is planning to go organic. However, there is a question as to the role the importation of organic fertilisers plays in this transition, and how long the Government will have to do it, as it goes against one of the goals of the decision to go organic – curtailing foreign currency outflow.
In regard to the measures to smoothen this transition, a study done by local think tank Verité Research had concluded that even though 64% of farmers who participated in the study had liked the idea of adopting a 100% organic agriculture-based culture, 78% of them had opined that they need more than a year to transition. If the planning phase had focused on farmers’ concerns, perhaps that would have changed the implementation of this programme.
Other concerns, such as educating farmers, soil management, the change in the quality and quantity in yield, and the economic aspects of this decision, are other crucial matters that should have been planned before making the decision to go organic. The growing fertiliser mafia, according to Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, is another issue that has been created as a result of this decision.
This situation, or the unpleasant developments it is likely to lead to, is tragic not only because Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector seems to be descending into a crisis, but due to the fact that these consequences were not unpredictable. In fact, the issues the farming community may have to face due to the lack of planning were raised by farmers’ groups immediately after the President announced the decision. Said decision being hasty and therefore poorly planned, in fact, was the main issue flagged by most who commented on it.
Early planning is actually a big deal, not only due to the revolutionary nature of the decision to go organic, but also due to the number of people, i.e. farmers, who are affected by this decision. According to the World of Organic Agriculture 2020, published by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement, only 2.8% of Sri Lanka’s total agricultural land is organic, leading us to the conclusion that farmers of 97.2% agricultural land will experience a direct impact of the decision to go organic and the poor planning it involves. Even though the actual number of agricultural land practising organic farming methods may vary, it would still be extremely high.
Sri Lanka announced the 100% organic move just a few months ago, and the bottom line is, it is not too late to understand and address the flaws that keep showing up, and to take into account facts that were not considered when this decision was taken. At a time when the country is facing a shortage of several essential food items, giving farmers’ voices more attention would change a lot of things for the agriculture sector as well as consumers.
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!