brand logo

Agricultural sector takes a hit

27 May 2019

By Tharumalee Silva The agricultural sector has been one of the main driving forces in the country’s economy. But as of late, the advancement of changing weather patterns and industrialisation has taken a toll on the country’s agricultural sector to a substantial level. Producing 6.9% of the country’s Gross Domestic Production (GDP), the agricultural sector provides employment to 25% of Sri Lanka’s workforce, according to recent research findings. However, the Global Climate Risk Index of 2019 listed Sri Lanka as a global hotspot for climate change, particularly the North of the island where the dry climate is relatively harsher. Such extreme heat and heavy rains creates a negative impact on the agricultural sector as well as the livelihood of many Sri Lankans, especially farmers. Small farmers affected Speaking to The Sunday Morning, All Island Farmers’ Federation National Organiser Namal Karunaratne stated that vegetable farmers are the worst affected. “Not only are they facing a challenge when it comes to environmental terms, but also the Easter Sunday attacks left them in a very vulnerable state,” he said. Karunaratne mentioned that post Easter Sunday bombings, many consumers refrained from entering supermarkets and, therefore, had resulted in a significant decrease in the demand for the produce. The super markets brought less produce than they usually do which directly affected the small-scale farmers. “We haven’t felt the effects of the drought on a catastrophic phase since we did experience light showers. There is water supply from the irrigation systems that are built on farming grounds,” he said. “The vegetable farmers obtain water from tube wells and rivers, but those who solely depend on rainwater were affected to a considerable extent,” informed Karunaratne. Sesame and millet cultivation is done seasonally according to our rainfall patterns. Since the drought commenced, the rainfall patterns in the country have undergone drastic changes. “The farmers who cultivate these crops are undergoing massive hardships when it comes to harvesting these days,” he said. Soil erosion With deforestation, soil erosion has become one of the main issues when making a living from agriculture and with the added effects of the drought surfacing, soil erosion has also played a role in the hardships faced by farmers. “There are not enough minerals left in Sri Lankan soil to harvest crops during a time of drought. When trees are cut down, this becomes one of the main factors of soil erosion, which in turn makes fertile land baron,” Kaurnaratne said. Further sharing his insights, he told that even when it rains, the soil is unable to absorb the established amount of water; if water is poured into normal fertile soil, it is usually able to absorb water and nourish itself, whereas lately, water glides over the soil without it absorbing the water to nourish itself. He also stated that this may be a result of oils that are harmful to nature being absorbed into the soil and that it was a “manmade disaster”. “Deforestation has become a hazard to the mountainous areas in the country as well, which used to be the most fertile land in the island. The mountains were filled with rich mineral soil and banks and banks of water trapped within its masses, but now even the mountains are drying up,” he added. Karunaratne stated that these manmade disasters are the reason farmers are unable to grow their crops in sudden situations such as dry weather. Building water tanks for agricultural purposes and various other emergencies has been a tradition in our country, dating far back as to King Parakramabahu’s reign when he built the Parakrama Samudra – the first water tank in Sri Lanka. These artificial reservoirs were in no way harmful to nature. However, lately the increasing trend has become to build concrete tanks which pose great threats to the environment. “Engineers and farmers have continuously spoken up against the destruction of the top layer of soil where the water meets the soil in a tank, but now they dig up the soil, purify it, and sell sand. Fertile soil which could have been used for farming is in turn wasted. When that seal of soil is taken away, the water does not remain within the tank – there is no flow or build-up of water,” he said. Karunaratne stated that these are the reasons that the topic of droughts and bouts of dry weather has surfaced time and again in the country, where droughts and bouts of dry weather were efficiently avoided. Market prices at an all-time low Further enlightening on the matter at hand, Karunaratne stated that the farmers who grew crops targeting the Sinhala and Tamil New Year and Vesak, in addition to the effects of the drought, endured more losses. “The harvests entered the markets, but the demand for the harvests greatly decreased at that time due to supermarkets being closed and people unwilling to visit them,” he said. He further informed that there has been an 80% decrease in demand for grains and vegetables, and with the added effects of the drought, it seemed like these farmers were being continuously harassed. Adding on to this, Karunaratne informed that the situation had not subsided yet even it has been a month since the Easter Sunday attacks. “The Muslim grocery stores have still not opened due to the riots erupting around the country. In turn, the farmers have also been unable to sell their produce which is usually purchased by Muslim shop owners, wholesale,” he said. However, Secretary to the Agricultural Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock Development, Irrigation, and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development K.D.S. Ruwanchandra, said that there was no recorded threat to the agricultural industry in the wake of the advancing drought. “We are still in the process of collecting information and we have not yet received any intelligence of ongoing hardships with relation to the drought,” he said. Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Ceylon Tea Board Chairman Lucille Wijewardena stated that the tea industry in Sri Lanka was not enduring any hardships due to the prevailing drought and weather conditions. However, Central Province Governor Maithri Gunaratne previously stated that there was a shortage in the water supply within the province and the provincial councils, as well as local governments, were in the process of distributing water through bowsers.

Kapruka

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


More News..