Sri Lanka targets food security amidst struggling agri sector
Authorities are attempting to increase the paddy yield starting from the next Maha season aimed at achieving 4.8 metric tonnes (MT) per hectare in two years and overcome losses incurred due to adverse impacts of the ban on fertiliser and establish food security in Sri Lanka.
This has been put forward in a report submitted by a committee appointed by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) working together with the state authorities to present a programme of action to bridge the yield gap of rice in Sri Lanka.
The FAO and the USAID conducted a two day workshop for agricultural experts on how to bridge the yield gap of rice and how to improve the productivity and production of rice based eco systems.
This is particularly relevant today since Sri Lanka experienced a drastic drop in paddy yields last year with the national average declining to 3.03 MT per hectare.
Peradeniya University Crop Science Senior Prof. Buddhi Marambe told the Business Times that this reduction was effected with the dry zone observing a 34 per cent reduction; a 21 per cent reduction in the wet zone and a 27 per cent reduction from the intermediate zone. In the previous year (2021) the national average was 4.31 MT per hectare with 4.7 MT per hectare harvested from the dry zone; 4.5 MT per hectare from the intermediate zone; and 3.5 MT from the wet zone.
Prof. Marambe noted that if the present consumption pattern in Sri Lanka continues it will require 3.8 million MT of rice annually.
In this respect, it was pointed out that the paddy yields targeted will be 5.5 MT per hectare in 10 years and any excess produced to be used for value addition export products.
But today Sri Lanka is “struggling” to revive its agricultural sector following the fallout experienced as a result of the ban on fertiliser, Prof. Marambe said.
The report suggests promoting the use of high yielding varieties resistant to weeds and pests and weather patterns.
He also pointed out that both
the public and private sectors should be allowed to provide the required inputs.
Water saving technologies are to be adopted to ensure that drought tolerant crops could be cultivated, the report states while introducing efficient machineries for all stages of paddy farming and post-harvest as well. It was also pointed out that if possible cultivating multiple crops is necessary to improve the productivity of the land.
In increasing the paddy yield it will be possible to reduce the land extent required to produce paddy and as a result the extra lands can be used to grow other crops.
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