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Reviving Northern agriculture

At a time when peace moves are getting into top gear, we are also being served with a bit of bad news about the Northern agricultural scenario.

Heavy rains are reportedly inundating vast extents of paddy land in the Jaffna peninsula, bringing to nought the painstaking exertions of the Northern farmer. Coupled with this unpleasant stroke of nature comes the equally distressing news that paddy is fetching relatively low prices in the North.

Apparently, the Northern farmer is not in a position to trade his invaluable produce easily. This problem should receive the attention of the authorities. The twenty year long North-East war is proof-among other things - of how economic discontent snowballs into rebellion and prolonged conflict.

In fact, if the symbiotic economic linkages between North and South had continued over the years, many an economic grievance of the Northern populace wouldn't have festered for so long and assumed crisis proportions.

More than twenty years ago, the agricultural produce of the North, such as, paddy, onions and chillies, were transported to Southern Sri Lanka and had ready markets here.

Likewise, Southern goods were sold in Northern markets. These economic linkages which brought benefits to many, were rudely disrupted by the open economy which made deep inroads into a relatively self-reliant economy. For instance, the liberalization of agricultural imports, weakened the Northern economy by undermining trade links between Northern and Southern Sri Lanka. A greater dependence on imported onions and other agricultural commodities, reduced Southern demand for Northern produce of the same kind.

We now know that drastically reduced employment prospects in agriculture, drove a considerable number of Northern youth to take up arms against the Lankan State; of such great magnitude is the issue of agricultural employment in the national question.

We are certain that these and many more issues would be taken up for discussion when a section of the people of the South meet their counterparts in the Wanni, in a current major exercise in people-to-people contact. It is equally significant that the authorities give ear to these grievances and take the necessary remedial action to set things right.

At a time when the reopening of road links between North and South is receiving the attention of the State, thought should also be given to the need to revitalize and re-establish economic and trade links between North and South.

It is our hope that local agriculture would be rejuvenated and the necessary attention paid to the problem of marketing the agricultural produce of the North.

• Editorial of  The Observer - 05.02.2002:Freedom Day
  

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