‘There is the local agricultural instructor in apparent overall charge at the grass root level agriculture sector. But he is more confined to a distant office or attending conferences. In short he is usually unable to spare any time for the solution of a problem affecting a farmer.’________________________
by Chandra Mettananda
(May 13, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) After a long career (over 35 years) spent in activities closely related to agriculture (sugar industry, etc.,) working under adverse conditions in areas such as the Gal Oya Valley and Kantale and thereby having closely associated myself with the farming communities that were settled 'in them, I am one who always felt that as a rule farmers were generally given step motherly treatment. Even the long past agricultural giants such as D.S. and Dudley Senananyake, Philip Gunewardena and Hector Kobbekaduwa had to face much opposition even from their own colleagues whenever they attempted to give priority to solving the problems affecting the local farming communities.
But despite the generally excellent leadership given by them it has to be admitted that conditions affecting the activities of present day farmers have not improved much over the years. This situation has been amply highlighted by Ranjit Mulleriyawa in the 'Island" of 29th April , whereby he stresses on the existing situation when farmers are rarely consulted and are ignored.
Therefore, it is this very important aspect of the close communication between farmers and those in authority whose duty is to closely monitor their work, advice and guide them, that I wish to highlight as a very important area of activity which has a direct bearing on the many problems facing the agricultural sector of the country. It appears as if too many officers are involved with farmers and their activities and none of them could be held responsible for ensuring the achievement of better productivity from them.
There is the local agricultural instructor in apparent overall charge at the grass root level agriculture sector. But he is more confined to a distant office or attending conferences. In short he is usually unable to spare any time for the solution of a problem affecting a farmer. Besides this, the other officers involved with agricultural extension activities are Grama Niladaris and the Samurdhi Niyamakas. As such officers are all from rural areas I have no complaint regarding their aptitude to doing agricultural work. The main problem is that they are not properly trained to do the job of serving the farmers in a committed manner. Having more than one category of officer to do the same work in a farming community is absurd.
A single well trained and knowledgeable agricultural extension officer would suffice for the purpose in a farming community of around 200 - 250 families. But he should preferably live in the farmers' village and thereby be available to help a farmers at short notice. My experience of the current situation is that they cannot be contacted in an emergency or even to attend to a routine matter. The other problem is that we always tend to forget that even though all living beings go to rest or sleep after a hard days' work, it never happens in the case of plant life. Every plant of agricultural use is a potential factory by itself. It has to be nurtured both by night and day. Therefore it is very imperative that dose attention is paid to them at all times.
Therefore with the dawn of a world food crisis of shortages, rising prices, etc., the situation needs a sort of revolution if our country is to tide over the situation. A revamping of the existing set up is required most urgently. The duties of various officers mentioned above should be properly defined without allowing for any overlapping. Statistics of all production records should be accurately maintained area wise according to the particular area coming under each and every officer. This would help in closely identifying the more efficient of them besides the lazy types such that disciplinary action could be taken against the latter. Also, the more efficient ones among them could be rewarded with suitable incentives such that they would get motivated even further. But most of all, the senior supervisory staff of the extension services should spend more time in the fields away from their offices and conference tables.
The above suggestions are meant only to overcome the immediate problems facing the country's agricultural sector as at present. But in the long term a more meaningful set up would have to be established if our farming communities are to be assisted to do a far better job of work. The prevailing advisory and extension services are far from adequate to motivate them to achieve higher productivity. Further, with the excellent climatic and soil conditions available locally and especially with the presence of talented and knowledgeable farming communities, we should endeavour to capitalize on the ongoing global food crisis. It is an obligation we should extend to the starving communities elsewhere who are suffering the effects of desertification and soil degradation. We should therefore endeavour to intensify on our practices to improve on levels of productivity.
What I therefore envisage is the establishment of a fully fledged agricultural university in a suitable location of our country wherein undergraduates could be given all the instruction and guidance necessary in all aspects of all crop production and also animal husbandry. I would treat it to be of urgent importance as before long agriculture could become the only hope for the country's future. Such an institute could chum out all the expertise necessary to motivate our farming communities by providing the necessary advisory and extension officers who will live with them and guide them to the glorious future they deserve to be in. As happens now to a small extent we should even strive to develop an export market. The prevailing faculties of agriculture in our campuses has to give way to such an institution and all local expertise available shall have to be pooled in it. Such expertise would also include the knowledgeable staff available to the Department of Agriculture, the various research institutes such as Tea,. Rubber, Coconut and Sugar, the Palmyra Development Board and also the corporate sector. Therefore staffing such an institution need not be an insurmountable problem. What the country requires is strong action before it becomes too late.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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