Organic fertilizers and food security
The corona epidemic has had a deadly impact on
the lives of people in many parts of the world. This created financial crises
in various countries. It is no secret that Sri Lanka was severely affected by
this. Different countries have different policies to manage the crisis.
Imposing import restrictions on selected goods is one of the steps taken by the
Government of Sri Lanka. Such import restrictions were first experienced in Sri
Lanka during the SLFP government in the 1970s. The purpose of the import restrictions
then was not to provide a temporary solution to a financial crisis but to build
a self-sufficient economy.
The present government imposed import restrictions on about 150 items.
Among them were essentials such as flour sugar and rice. Although the import
restrictions on these goods were later lifted, the non-lifting of import
restrictions on vehicles such as bowsers and agricultural vehicles, especially
those required for the transportation and distribution of goods such as milk,
created various crises in the economy.
The World Food Program recently stated that
import control programs and the epidemic could cause food security problems in
some parts of Sri Lanka. Wheat import restrictions adversely affected poultry
and egg production. Import restrictions on some cereal crops have also severely
affected the local industries that use them. Legislation on import restrictions
does not seem to have had the desired effect.
One of the main reasons for this is the unplanned unilateral haphazard
implementation of important economic policies that affect a country.
The strategies used by Singapore, among
countries that have ensured food security in imposing import restrictions,
should be studied. One of the steps Singapore has taken is to grow its local food
production system by joining the food supply chains of major countries. This
seems to be a much planned program. In terms of food intake, Singapore appears
to be connected with 140 countries in 2004 and 170 countries in 2019. Their
goal is to produce about 30 percent of the food the country needs by 2030. As
one step, steps have been taken to launch food preservation projects using
scientific technology. Another step is to prepare people for the consumption of
frozen and powdered foods.
The Presidential Media Unit
recently stated that it is planning to eliminate the use of chemical
fertilizers familiarizing farmers with organic fertilizers. At first glance,
this is a commendable process. But this should not have been done as a quick
step to overcome the current financial crisis. This should have been
implemented as a regulatory project for cultivation using organic fertilizers
before being implemented across the country. Based on the feedback received, a
study should have been conducted on the feasibility of implementing it in other
areas as well. Compatibility of organic fertilizers for hybrid paddy varieties
had to be explored. Alternative organic herbicides and pesticides should have
been introduced as readily available sources. Suddenly, such projects seem to
be driven by political motives. Although there is no shortage of rice
production, the prices of rice are rising day by day. There is also a monopoly
on the distribution of rice in the country. In such a scenario, restricting
imports on fertilizers could lead to more complex problems in the hasty attempt
to get people accustomed to the use of organic fertilizers in a hurry.
Kularatne Suriya Arachchi
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