SL successfully averts food crisis via massive cultivation drive: Agriculture Minister

Minister Mahinda Amaraweera

• Says SL will be self-sufficient in rice from February next year
• Explains initiative to encourage crop planting to boost local produce was a huge success
• Reveals paddy cultivation hit record with 512,000 hectares
• Asserts no need to import more stocks as 500,000 tons of imported rice still available
• Calls on President not to downsize any expenditure on agriculture from impending Interim Budget
• Opines lack of facilities hindered output of maize and adversely impacted poultry industry
• Updates on progress of other crop cultivation initiatives 
• Expresses confidence that high food inflation will soon be reduce

Sri Lanka has successfully averted the food crisis through its massive cultivation drive, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday. 

He explained that the initiative to encourage crop planting as part of boosting local produce has been a huge success, whilst expressing that the high food inflation will soon be reduced.

“Post next Maha cultivation season, we will definitely stop importing rice, as Sri Lanka will be self-sufficient in rice from next February,” Amaraweera said during a media briefing on fertiliser distribution program and promotion of maize cultivation in the Yala-Maha seasons organised by the Government Information Department yesterday.

He said originally the Government was initially planning to harvest paddy only in 248,000 hectares, but the farmers expressed confidence in the cultivation of 275,000 hectares and by the end of the Yala season a record 512,000 hectares of paddy was cultivated.

“As 512,000 hectares of was cultivated over two million tonnes of paddy would be harvested and after milling, we can get around 1.5 million tonnes of rice, enough to feed the country for over six months,” he said.

Sri Lanka requires around 2.4 million tons of rice per annum. The Minister also said tests carried out by Adaptive Research Unit have shown that the 70:30 mix of chemical and organic fertiliser use has given the best outcome results and that it will be maintained going forward. He said there are over 500,000 tons of imported rice available, adding that there was no need to import more stocks.

“I have informed the Cabinet, Finance Ministry, and Central Bank not to allocate more funds for rice imports. However, I have categorically requested not to downsize any expenditure on agriculture from the impending Supplementary Budget,” he added.

In June, given the worsening multiple economic crises mill owners said they can only produce rice for another two weeks from the remaining paddy stocks and called on the Government to stop the use of rice for beer production insisting that feeding people ahead of a food shortage was more important.

Minister Amaraweera said the only request from framers was to provide them affordable fertiliser, pesticides, fuel for machinery, and a reasonable price for their produce.

“Unlike other industry stakeholders our farmers did not beg for incentives, but the continuous supply of basics to avert the food shortage,” he pointed out.

In terms of maize cultivation for animal feed, he said the lack of sufficient facilities has hindered output and it has also adversely impacted the poultry industry. 

“The insufficient harvest of maize has affected the production of eggs and chicken. It has also negatively impacted the rise in food inflation,” Minister Amaraweera explained.

Last year, maize production was 90,000 tons. Farmers have worked to cultivate 111,000 hectares of maize this year. “If we continue to meet the basic needs of the farmers, Sri Lanka will be able to become self-sufficient in maize in two more seasons as well,” he said.

The Minister also said the country can achieve a dry chilli yield of 4 million kilos per acre by giving priority to cultivation, adding that a program has been initiated targeting youth communities to adopt modern technology and hybrid cultivation methods at present. 

Sri Lanka imports 99% of the dried chilli requirement and it drains a large sum of foreign exchange. Minister Amaraweera also said the country is almost self-sufficient in green grams, kurakkan, cowpea, and peanut production, whilst noting that the type of peanuts imported to cultivate jumbo peanuts is now being done locally.

“Although Sri Lanka is ranked fifth highest food inflation economies at present, it will soon be changed with the Government’s new agricultural policy and boost,” he stressed.

Paddy Marketing Board Chairman Neil de Alwis, Department of Agricultural Development Assistant Commissioner of Agricultural Services Migara Samarakoon also participated.