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| Workers tend the onion fields,
north of Trincomalee. |
| Photo by James Overly |
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| A fisherman stands next to
his boat near Trincomalee. After 20 years of
fighting, the ceasefire allows him to return
to the sea. |
| Photo by Alex Kersis |
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| Sri Lanka’s famous red
bananas, unique to the country. |
| Photo by James Overly |
 |
| Sri Lankan fishing boats,
while colorful, are inadequate for commercial
fishing. |
| Photo by James Overly |
With its tropical location and altitudes ranging
from sea level to nearly 8,000 feet, Sri Lanka is
one of those countries that could grow just about
anything. Instead, the country still imports large
quantities of foods that it could grow itself.
For example, Sri Lanka is blessed with the sweetest
pineapples in the world, far superior to what Americans
purchase in their local supermarket for $5 apiece,
and rated higher even than the famous Philippine pineapple.
But it grows only enough to meet about half of domestic
demand. Sugar cane is cultivated, but the country
imports more than half the sugar it consumes. Beautiful
orchids abound throughout the country, but three is
no flower export business.
The country boasts bountiful fishing waters, but the
war forced the government to curtail fishing activity
along most of the coasts. For twenty years, Sri Lanka
fishermen were permitted to do little commercial fishing,
and the country imported the fish it consumed. Now
that the ceasefire is in effect, fishing could resume,
but after 20 years, the country has only a few small
boats. The fishing industry is so meager that J.C.
Amarasuriya, Chairman of the Board of the Commercial
Bank of Ceylon, quips, “Sri Lankan fish die of
old age.”
There are, of course, extensive plantings of tea,
coconuts, and rubber grown for export. These crops
lend themselves to large plantings, and so come under
the government’s Ministry of Plantation Industries.
Livestock and most other agricultural activity come
under the purview of S.B. Dissanayake, Minister for
Poverty Reduction and Minister of Agriculture and
Livestock.
Dissanayake’s task is to rejuvenate smallholder
agriculture, an economic sector severely affected
by 20 years of civil war. “Over the last 10 to
15 years,” he says, “the agriculture sector
declined. People were forced from their lands by the
war, and those who tried to farm were harassed. Now
his ministry confronts the problems of attempting
to restore and improve smallholder agricultural production.
While peace and good weather this year have yielded
a 19 percent increase in rice production, and yields
of other crops have improved, Dissanayake and his
staff must deal with structural problems in the agricultural
sector. The minister cites advances in the provision
of agricultural extension services and work to improve
the distribution and storage system. “We suffer
a 35 percent handling loss,” he says.
While it is clear that the current government is placing
greater emphasis on improving agricultural production
than in the past, the minister says the government
is working closely with the private sector. In particular,
the minister is interested in attracting agribusiness.
“We offer tax relief packages, export tax rebates
and many other incentives,” the minister says.
The government expects to implement a World Bank poverty
reduction program soon, which will provide money to
assist agricultural development.
The minister also is anxious to see higher technology
and new techniques infused in Sri Lanka’s agricultural
system. “We need hybrid animals, new seeds and
new technology in our agriculture,” he says.
Expressing his gratitude to the United States for
its support of the Sri Lankan peace process, Dissanayake
adds, “We have a lot of opportunities in agriculture.
Just one or two American agribusinesses could have
a huge impact here.” |
