Well-known writer on rubber industry passes away – Appreciation
View(s):Dr. N. Yogaratnam, former Deputy Director Research, Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka (RRISL) passed away on August 16 at the age of 76. He was well known among rubber planters of Sri Lanka as a regular writer to newspapers about the developments in all areas of the global rubber industry. His articles were eminently readable and written in good English which made him one of the foremost writers of scientific articles connected with rubber in the country. He had the rare quality of educating the rubber farmers on technical and economic aspects of the global rubber industry with the information not within the reach of ordinary planters and traders.
All the predictions made by the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) on the demand and supply situation of natural rubber, which are not available free to ordinary people interested in the industry were reported by him in his articles promptly. As soon as the IRSG reports are released quarterly on the Internet Dr Yogaratnam who had access to these reports took prompt action to write articles to English newspapers in Sri Lanka, to share this information with all who are involved in rubber manufacturing and trading in the country.
Dr. Yogaratnam while working as the Head of the Soils Chemistry Department of the RRI was heavily involved in analysing nutrient deficiencies in the soils of rubber growing areas all over Sri Lanka and recommending site specific fertilizer formulations to increase productivity of rubber lands without wasting money on unwanted dosages of nutrients, which ultimately not only increase the cost to the farmer but also affect the environment. It is the team of scientists of the RRI who worked with Dr. Yogaratnam who identified the equal nutrient value of the Eppawala Rock Phospate when used as a substitute for imported super phosphate in mature rubber plantations and recommended its use, thereby curtailing the foreign exchange involvement in the importation of fertilizers.
During his stay at Agalawatta both he and his wife Padmini were friends of all in the institute premises, irrespective of the level where they were. Most of the little kids of officers called them Appa and Amma because of their kindness to those kids.
Even during the past two decades when he was residing in Colombo after retirement, he never missed visiting the National Institute of Plantation Management to help edit the NIPM journal. His demise is a great loss to the rubber growers of Sri Lanka. We as scientists worked closely with him at the RRI and continued to be in close touch with him even after his retirement miss him badly. May Dr. Yogaratnam attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana.
Dr. L.M.K. Tillekeratne.
Former Director, RRI Sri Lan