New agricultural strategy to uplift farming community

Address by Hemantha Warnakulasuriya, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Italy and the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to UN Agencies in Rome at the 34th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Conference Rome, Italy on November 20

According to FAO estimates, around 854 million people worldwide were undernourished in 2001 to 2003 period, which includes, 9 million in industrialized countries, 25 million in countries in transition, and 820 million in developing countries.

It is in this context, the relevance and the importance of the FAO, as an international body, has become paramount; it also provides the timely impetus for all member countries to make the FAO more effective and efficient, to address these issues, which I believe, was the basis for initiating the process for the Independent External Evaluation of FAO.

As for Sri Lanka, we have embarked on a new agricultural strategy for the country, through the introduction of the National Agricultural Policy in September 2007, to uplift the farming community.

The Government policy on agriculture emphasises on enhancing the income and living conditions of farmers, through increasing productivity, and other improvements, while ensuring food security in the country, and availability of safe food products to consumers.

However, the performance in the agricultural sector has been constrained by poor rural infrastructure, an unstable macro-economic environment resulting in high interest rates, and, inefficiencies in public sector support services. These have limited the ability of farmers to increase the efficiency in their operations and discouraged them in engaging in agriculture further.

The new agricultural strategy of the Ministry of Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services provides a framework that addresses many of these constraints.

It is built on a dynamic process, guided and supported extensively, by public sector activities. The framework also promotes a much improved policy environment and rural infrastructure development to facilitate agri-business. It is also envisaged to increase productivity and diversify its farming systems to encourage growing new crops and using new technologies.

We are living in a globalised world and are subjected to all the consequences of competition. To meet these challenges, The Government of Sri Lanka while endeavouring to increase production and improve productivity, will also strive for upgrading quality of end products.

When it comes to quality, the best example is the spice trade; Sri Lanka survives in today’s international spice trade, because of its distinct flavour, fragrance, and chemical properties. However, we still insist on further improving the quality of our spices and also to raise the quality of all other agricultural crops.

The Government of Sri Lanka continues to support the farming sector, through a number of institutional support programmes, such as the Farmer Insurance and Pension Scheme and a Farmers’ Bank.

Farmers are also encouraged to organise themselves to viable farmer companies and to help maintain the irrigation management systems and coordinate input supplies and output marketing.

Sri Lanka’s agriculture is presently at a crossroads. After a number of years of internal strife, with the conflict in the North and the East, Sri Lanka is now heading towards stability, particularly in the East.

In 2006, Sri Lanka recorded ever highest rice production, which was 3.34 million metric tons. Meanwhile, the production of other subsidiary food crops and vegetables too increased since farmers shifted from rice to these crops to maximize on available water resources.

In 2006, although the production of tea declined marginally, rubber and coconut production increased, by 4.6%, and, 6.7%, respectively. In addition, several initiatives have been taken to promote forestry in line with the Forestry Sector Master Plan.

The Government of Sri Lanka also has embarked upon to initiate close cooperation between both public and private sectors vigorously, and introduce new technologies related to bio-technology and higher yielding hybrid varieties of grains, fruits and vegetables.

It is in this connection that I seek the FAO’s assistance for Sri Lanka to access new technologies, that will not only help increase output but also look into the issues of minimising post harvest losses, increase value addition, improve quality and better marketing.

As all of you may recall, Sri Lanka was much affected by the Tsunami on December 26, 2004; the Tsunami catastrophe devastated the Southern and Eastern coastal areas killing thousands of people. In the aftermath of the Tsunami, the FAO provided much assistance to Sri Lanka and is still continuing with projects related to reconstruction and rehabilitation.

On behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, I express my sincere gratitude to FAO for its much needed and timely interventions.

In addition I would also like to thank FAO, for the assistance extended to several sectors, including forestry and fisheries, which has together made a positive contribution towards Sri Lanka’s economic development and well being of its citizenry.

Our wishes are that, the FAO as the international body empowered to address the world’s poverty, hunger and malnutrition, will play a greater role in uplifting livelihoods of the masses.