Webinar on ‘EU Agriculture Policy and Lessons for Sri Lanka’

Tuesday, 22 February 2022 00:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Under the direction of its President Prof. Ven. Wijitapure Wimalaratana, the Sri Lanka Economic Association (SLEA) will hold its second monthly e-seminar on a contemporary interest topic, ‘EU Agriculture Policy and Lessons for Sri Lanka’ on Saturday 26 February from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the ‘Zoom’ platform.

SLEA said agriculture has been the key sector in the Sri Lankan economy since the olden days. In the colonial period, especially under British rule, agriculture was the dominant sector in the economy. Plantation agriculture, the most dynamic sector, was added to the economy during this period.

Domestic agriculture, especially rice, was the centre of gravity of the post-independent development policy priorities.

The European Union Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been designed to protect the farmers’ income stability, safeguard the rural economy, guarantee the best quality safe food for consumers while maintaining socioeconomic and environmental sustainability.

In a nutshell, the CAP is a well-designed partnership between agriculture and society, and between the European Union and its farmers.

Sri Lanka is currently enjoying preferential access to the EU market under the GSP+ facility. Sri Lanka exports animal and animal products, vegetable products, raw hides, skins, leather and furs, and foodstuffs, etc. as agriculture-related products to the EU.

There is a vast and fully unexploited potential that still remains in the EU market for Sri Lanka.

A prudent agricultural export policy targeting the EU market under the GSP+ will bring great relief to the producers, the rural sector, and the entire economy of Sri Lanka. This will replenish the depleted external reserves of the country to a great extent if the opportunities are exploited carefully.

The key presentation will be made by Former Professor of Economics of the Vaasa University Finland and Former Professor of Economics of the University of Karlstad Sweden Professor J.A. Karunaratne.

The discussant of the presentation will be the University of Peradeniya Department of Crop Science Professor Buddhi Marambe.

The moderator of the seminar will be the University of Colombo Department of Economics Prof. Sirimal Abeyratne.

Interested parties could register early by contacting the SLEA office on phone numbers +112559478/0703889356 or email address [email protected].