Govt. weeding policy is cash for weeds
View(s):Sri Lankan farmers are lacking in weedicides this Maha season due to state policy decisions but the market remains fertile for illegally imported stocks selling at skyrocketing prices. Lack of weedicide alone is set to drop yields by about 40 per cent while the budget offers Rs.5,000 per H to implement policy.
Peradeniya University Weed Science Senior Prof. Buddhi Marambe told the Business Times on Tuesday that if weeds are not controlled then yields will be lower and excess weed alone can reduce paddy yield by 40 per cent.
He explained that the government advice to move away from synthetic fertilisers and use organic fertiliser results in a relatively low nutrient supply to the plant, “so you are creating an environment which is resource poor and that is why in an organic system the weeds are higher.”
With the illegal entry of herbicides, farmers state that a bottle of weedicide which was previously priced at Rs.1,990 is now selling at around Rs.5,500.
Ploughing, levelling and flooding properly can take care of weeds to a great extent but not weeds that emerge later on during the season because by that time the crop has grown well and they will shed their seeds, Prof. Marambe explained.
“But now it is a little too late,” he said noting that those who have already commenced cultivating have already run out of options. However, Prof. Marambe noted that some farmers are likely to have some stocks of weedicides since the regulation is that they can be used from the date of manufacture for up to two years and so many store it to be used when required.
Controlling of weeds helps to prevent the escalation of pests by about 80 per cent, it was noted.
There is a discussion going on among authorities on adopting an alternate measure to control weeds in the short run, he said.
Alternate methods like manual weeding and flooding are being promoted by the authorities, but Prof. Marambe points out while flooding fields with a high level of stagnant water for a longer duration can only be carried out in paddy cultivation, it cannot be used for other crops. This method of flooding is possible during the rainy Maha season and cannot be applied during the dry Yala season.
Another herbicide called Pelargonic acid is being promoted for use in crops and is considered organic but Prof. Marambe clearly states that “all herbicides marketed chemistry-wise are organic”.
He noted that Pelargonic acid should be applied at high rates like 15-20 litres per hectare in order to have an impact, and even if it is cheaper it will be costly since it will have to be used at high quantities.
It was pointed out that people have moved into herbicides since people are selective and though manual and mechanical weed control are possible herbicides are still one of the cheapest tools available.
Commenting on the current budget proposals to provide Rs.5,000 per hectare for use of locally produced organic weedicides, Prof. Marambe noted that authorities are “trying to push forward an idea to do it locally.”
However, he noted that it is incorrect to state that weedicides are toxic in nature and pointed out that everything depends on the dosage applied.
However, Agriculture Department Director General Dr. Ajantha De Silva said that that according to government policy they have to control weeds using non chemical methods like flooding the paddy fields and for other crops using mechanical and manual systems.
He also noted that Pelargonic acid is available to farmers but it has not been widely popular in the past.
Farmers affected as a result of the prevailing bad weather conditions are likely to receive compensation, he said.
Dr. De Silva noted that nearly 565,000 hectares are cultivated at present with the final aim being 800,000 hectares which is likely to be reached by the end of November.
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