Outdated quarantine laws stifle SL agriculture growth
Archaic quarantine laws are deterring the Sri Lankan agricultural sector from achieving its full potential.
The South American Leaf Blight (SALB), caused by the fungus Microcyclus ulei, is a highly destructive quarantine disease of rubber trees confined to the Americas. It posed a significant threat to Sri Lanka’s rubber industry in the 1950s, as local clones are susceptible. Strict quarantine measures were implemented at that time to prevent its entry. Any plant, plant product (including seeds, cuttings, and roots), and packing material originating from these regions is prohibited, especially those that could carry the leaf blight.
Aroshan Seresinhe, Group CEO, CIC Holding PLC, told the Sunday Times Business that the country is losing out on its potential for agriculture in many aspects due to this vision from many decades ago.
This law makes it nearly impossible for private entities to import high quality seeds. He said that this restricts the local farmers from relying on the low-yielding, traditional crop varieties. “We have been fairly inward looking and not being relevant to the region. Some of the best seeds are important from Latin America by countries in the region, such as Indonesia, Philippine, Malaysia, Thailand, etc and their agricultural sector is at its pinnacle, while we’re unable to access the best seeds from the region due to the current time law.”
He said the local farmers are driven to use a higher dose of fertiliser and pesticides to maintain yields. Noting that the country should transition to an agri entrepreneurship model, he said it will allow companies to lead in research and development.
Discussing Sri Lankan farming practices, he said that unlike in the 2019 era, which had a subsidy, now with the demand and supply model, the farmers have realised that to do agriculture and increase their agricultural practices, they are more judicious in applying fertiliser. “They get advice from certain fertiliser companies about compounds and blends which are the best nutrients for their crops. These discussions have translated into better yields for them.”
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