• Lack of proper management of vegetable crop cultivation affects farmers
• Consumers grapple with shortages and unsustainable prices in the market

Stakeholders attribute the obstacles to sustainable year-round vegetable production in Sri Lanka to a lack of proper management of vegetable crop cultivation, while consumers continue to grapple with unsustainable prices. 

With production barriers and constraints related to marketing and post-harvest practices being major obstacles to vegetable production, Sri Lanka’s vegetable supply is under immense pressure due to the growing population and decreasing arable land resulting from rapid urbanisation, requiring continuous production of high-quality vegetables throughout the year for domestic and export markets. 

A constant supply 

Showcasing the unpredictability of the vegetable market and supply in Sri Lanka, a recent significant surplus of vegetables at the Keppetipola Economic Centre had farmers unable to sell their produce for the day, even at a loss.  

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Keppetipola Economic Centre Trade Association President S.A.R. Bandusena shared that while there had been an unexpected surplus of vegetables at the market the previous week, leading to lower prices for farmers, the situation had eventually normalised. 

Addressing the possible reasons for an unanticipated surplus, he explained: “Previously, farmers only cultivated during three seasons. This has now increased to four or five seasons due to hybrid seeds. Therefore, people don’t let lands lie fallow. Instead, they cultivate crops that can yield a harvest within about two months. This has become a huge problem.

“Earlier, farmers would first establish a plant nursery and decide on what to plant. But nothing like that happens now; they simply plant whatever they wish. As a result of this, vegetables are continuously available with no shortage.”

For instance, he pointed out that low-country vegetables were being cultivated in massive quantities, when previously low-country cultivations included only crops that grew during the wet season. However, at present, crops like pumpkin and cucumber are continuously available. 

Drawing from his experience, he said that there was no crop management as such in the country to control this oversupply of vegetables, noting that in the past, in different areas of Welimada, for instance, only specific vegetables had been grown, with leeks, carrots, and beets in one area, beans in another, brinjals in another, and tomato in another, which was no longer the case. 

Bandusena attributed this change to the availability of hybrid seeds and reluctance to let lands lie unused, alongside new agriculture technology allowing for year-round cultivation.  

However, despite this surplus of vegetables, consumers see no tangible relief in terms of prices, something he termed a significant problem. 

“Even if prices of vegetables drop due to a surplus, these prices don’t reach the consumers,” he said, explaining that once vegetables were taken from the economic centre, prices almost doubled when they reached consumers given the number of intermediaries involved in ensuring the goods reached their ultimate destination. 

Unplanned cultivation and farmer behaviour 

Meanwhile, Agriculture Department Director General Dr. Kamanie Ranatunga told The Sunday Morning that the Government planned to strengthen existing mechanisms for crop planning given the inadequacies of the current system, which lead to overproduction.  

“For major crops like tomato, beans, brinjal, and capsicum, we inform farmers digitally and via the department at the beginning of each cultivation season about the amount needed to be cultivated for specific crops in order to obtain a favourable price. 

“When the cultivation of a certain crop reaches a set target, we inform farmers that production is sufficient and that they may not be able to obtain a favourable price for their yield if they cultivate further,” she said.

Despite this, the issue lies in the reluctance of farmers to follow the advice given by the department, leading to a surplus in production. Ranatunga noted: “Not all farmers follow the department’s instructions and we can’t force or threaten them to do so either. We can only make a request to the effect.”

For instance, she pointed out that if farmers saw other farmers securing a higher income for a certain crop during a previous season, they would also cultivate the same crop as a result, or would only prefer to cultivate what they were used to, being unwilling to adopt the cultivation of new crops. Moreover, given that these are seasonal crops, there can be a surplus production naturally as well.  

Accordingly, farmers typically cultivating what they are familiar with without understanding the quantity and time required has led to a mismatch between the demand and supply of vegetables, causing price volatility on the farmer’s end, with the price farmers receive being  sometimes insufficient to cover their production costs. 

Due to such behaviour, the department has planned to reinforce the existing mechanism. “In future, along with the ministry, we plan to adopt a strengthened mechanism for this,” said Ranatunga. 

According to University of Peradeniya (UOP) Faculty of Agriculture Department of Crop Science Senior Prof. Buddhi Marambe, one of the reasons for having a glut in supply is unplanned cultivation. 

“When people find that there’s a market for a given product, all farmers start thinking of obtaining better returns for their production and start cultivating the same product to a greater degree. This will naturally lead to a glut and the price will fall.”

He noted that while there was an adequate crop plan for major staples like paddy, vegetable cultivation had no such structure: “There is no real crop plan that has been practiced for vegetable crop cultivation, which is governed by market forces, especially in terms of production. Government intervention is essential to ensure proper crop planning for the continuation or stability of supply and for prices to remain stable throughout the year.”  

According to research undertaken by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) under the CGIAR Initiative on Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets, officials have shared that there is a tendency to cultivate the same crop and the same varieties, leading to oversupply and price reductions. 

The Government’s attempts to implement crop zoning have failed due to the popularity and profitability of specific crops and the farmers’ experience of traditionally cultivating those crops.

Attempts by The Sunday Morning to reach Minister of Agriculture K.D. Lalkantha and Deputy Minister of Agriculture Namal Karunaratne proved futile.