Sri Lanka: task of livelihood rehabilitation

By M.S. Swaminathan

(June 17, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) India, with its vast infrastructure in agricultural research and education, is best placed to usher in an era of hope in the lives of the Tamil farm and fisher families.

The war has ended, but the struggle for economic survival is just beginning for the Tamil population of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Peace has come, but for it to last a union of hearts is essential. Thus the Tamil population of Sri Lanka needs both peace and bread with human dignity to become proud citizens of the beautiful country that is linked spiritually to India through Buddhism. While such issues have to be settled politically, the immediate need is livelihood rehabilitation.

Over 80 per cent of the population of the Northern Province, comprising the districts of Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaithivu, Mannar and Vavuniya, depend on farm enterprises for work and income security. Prior to the conflict, the province had a cultivable area of about 300,000 hectares, of which over 100,000 ha were under rice. The rest had onion, chillies, mungbean, sesame, groundnut, yams, fruits, vegetables and coconut. At the moment it is not known what extent can be farmed. There has been much damage to the ecological foundations of agriculture, such as soil, water and biodiversity, due to planting of mines, erection of protective structures and other security measures. Collecting fresh agricultural statistics is a priority task.

The Northern Province was an agricultural paradise before the conflict. Currently, it is estimated that crop production may be of the order of 150,000 tonnes, as against 800,000 tonnes earlier. A large proportion of farms is in the form of home gardens of about 0.1 ha producing a variety of horticultural and animal products. There is great scope for dairy, goat and poultry farming. There are large numbers of fisher-families along the coast. The Tamil farmers of the province have been the custodians of Sri Lanka’s food security, much the same way the Sikh farmers of Punjab contribute a large part of the wheat and rice for India’s public distribution system.

The province had over 2,300 minor tanks and about 50 medium and 11 major tanks prior to the war, but most of them now need to be restored. Building an irrigation security system is essential for an agricultural revival. Forests need to be replanted and rejuvenated. Thus, the pathway to livelihood rehabilitation in this area is agricultural renewal. India, with its vast infrastructure in agricultural research and education, is best placed to usher in an era of hope in the lives of the Tamil farm and fisher families. Because of the loss of life and livelihoods, the size of the working population among men has shrunk considerably. The feminisation of agriculture calls for making all agricultural research, education, extension and development programmes gender-sensitive.

During a recent visit to Sri Lanka I had an opportunity to discuss issues relating to agricultural research, education and development with the President, the Prime Minister and Ministers of Sri Lanka. The suggestions made here are based on those discussions.

Strategies for the Wanni region

The Sri Lankan Ministry of Agriculture has prepared a strategy for "Vadakkin Vasantham" (Revitalisation of Northern Province). The President mentioned that because of the very high level of subsidy provided (96 per cent), chemical fertilizers are displacing compost and other organic manure. An Integrated Nutrient Supply System comprising vermiculture (using earthworms), biofertilizers, compost, cereal-legume rotation and green manure crops will help reduce the dependence on mineral fertilizers. Green manure plants such as Sesbania rostrata fix nitrogen in the stem and root. Seeds of such plants should be multiplied and distributed. And, soil health cards providing data on the physical, chemical and microbial status of the soil should be issued to each farm family.

Every calamity presents an opportunity for progress. A new chapter in the agriculture of the Northern Province can be opened by introducing farmers to conservation farming and integrated pest management and integrated natural resources management. Soil health care and enhancement, and more crop per drop of water techniques developed by the International Water Management Institute, will help increase yield and reduce the cost of production. Post-harvest processing and value addition will help generate more off-farm employment and increase earning opportunities for women.

India’s assistance in strengthening agricultural research training and development will be timely. There is a need to move fast, since the internally displaced population urgently needs a message of hope. India can also provide seeds, biofertilizers and biopesticides, farm equipment and post-harvest infrastructure. Good quality seed is a major constraint. Seed Villages can be organised under a Government of India-supported programme. In the immediate context, seeds of appropriate varieties and crops could be supplied to help initiate farm operations. Long-term measures to take to the Northern Province river water now going to the sea are needed. This will help farmers raise three crops a year. A five-pronged action plan involving the following aspects will help improve the well-being of the farm and fisher families of the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

Technology: Institutions designed for technology development and dissemination are in a weak state. Besides strengthening the existing institutions, it will be useful to develop an Institute for Agricultural Transformation and Capacity Building at Vavuniya and a Fish for All Research and Training Centre at Mannar. These can function on a hub-and-spokes model, with link centres at different locations in the northern and eastern regions. From the beginning these institutions should concentrate on the development and spread of eco-technologies by blending traditional ecological prudence with frontier technologies. Farmer participatory research and knowledge management should be the approach to fostering green technologies such as integrated pest management and integrated nutrient supply. Mixed farming involving demand-driven animal enterprises should be promoted to increase farm income and household nutrition security.

Improved post-harvest technology will help prevent spoilage and add value to primary products. Women-friendly implements and institutional structures like Seed Villages will help accelerate the agricultural revival. In view of the damage caused to arable land by planting of mines as well as the movement of tanks and heavy military vehicles, soil health restoration is an urgent task.

Techno-infrastructure: Seed and Grain banks, farm machinery, the repair of farm ponds, water harvesting and storage structures, animal sheds, storage godowns, post-harvest handling, rural roads and communication are priority areas for attention and action. Mobile soil testing vans can help assess the organic matter content and macro- and micro-nutrient status of the soil and issue soil health cards to farm families. In view of the energy shortage, solar and wind energy will have to be tapped systematically. In the case of fisheries, the infrastructure needs of all links in the capture to consumption chain need concurrent attention.

Training: The pedagogic methodology adopted should be learning by doing. Farmer to farmer as well as scientist to farmer (lab to land) learning will help bridge the gap between scientific know-how and field level do-how. Women farmers can be trained in organising Seed Villages and in the production of the biological software essential for sustainable agriculture, such as biopesticides and biofertilizers. Training in food processing, packaging, storage and marketing will help promote value-addition and producer-oriented marketing.

Trade: Opportunities for assured and remunerative marketing determine the economic viability of farming. The cost-risk-return structure of farming should guide the fixing of the minimum support price. A market intervention scheme may be necessary over the next few years, until life returns to normal and the rural infrastructure is rebuilt.

Biovillages: Because of the small farm size, multiple livelihood opportunities are essential to achieve a satisfactory level of household income. Hence, increasing on-farm productivity and expanding off-farm employment opportunities should receive integrated attention. The Biovillage model of sustainable human security could be the chosen path for rural development. This model lays equal stress on the conservation and enhancement of natural resources, improving the productivity and profitability of small farms, and the generation of market driven non-farm enterprises based on agro-processing and agro-services. Key centralised services could be provided to improve the efficiency of decentralised production.

What next?

During my discussions it was suggested that a Sri Lanka-India Consultation be held at Vavuniya in July 2009 to consider and finalise the agricultural revival plan. In addition to experts and input supply agencies (credit, seed, farm equipment and so on), representatives of farming families from the Wanni region should be invited. Farm women and men will be able to articulate their felt needs and priorities. This will help make the action plan realistic and demand-driven. Time is of the essence since sowing operations will have to start in October. Soil testing vans, seeds, nutrients and implements will have to reach the region by September. Training and capacity building activities will have to start in August.

India rendered timely assistance in the past to Vietnam and Kampuchea in getting their agriculture into a high growth trajectory after the end of the war with the U.S. in one case, and the termination of the Pol Pot tyranny in the other. Both countries are now foodgrain exporters. India should extend similar timely help to Sri Lanka, so that the Tamil farm and fisher families are able to regain their fame and their breadbasket status.

(Professor M.S. Swaminathan is a Member of the Rajya Sabha and Chairman of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai.)

-Sri Lanka Guardian