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Farmers already brainwashed by agrochemical lobby – CEJ

Published

5 years ago

2021/07/1

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Over 70% of the artificial fertiliser used by Sri Lankan farmers ended up in water sources, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Hemantha Withanage said yesterday.

“Sri Lankan farmers were given a considerable fertiliser subsidy and our farmers use four times the amount of fertiliser used by their regional counterparts. Successive governments have failed to establish a good extension service and farmers now depend on the advice of fertiliser and pesticide sellers. Sometimes they even use several pesticides at once,” Withanage said.

The farmers had been misled because Sri Lankan governments in the last 40 years had allowed the agrochemical industry to formulate our agricultural policies, Withanage said.

“Our farmers use excessive amounts of fertiliser for several reasons. Being exposed to propaganda is one, another serious issue is that tonnes of topsoil per acre, in certain agricultural lands in the central province, is washed away annually. This is because the farmers do not know about soil management,” he said.

Moreover, the hybrid seeds imported from countries, like Malaysia, needed chemical fertilis er. Export crops like tea also needed a lot of fertiliser.

“Making our agricultural organic is not easy or something that can be done overnight. Converting large scale tea plantations into organic farms is exceedingly difficult. In the last 45 years we have used so many toxins, soil in most agricultural zones are infertile. There are no natural bacteria or insects in these soils. It will take some time to restore the soil,” he said.

Withanage said Cuban farmers had told him that it took between three to five years to successfully introduce organic agricultural practices to a farm. The government must also look at restoring the diversity of our seed and plant varieties, the CEJ Executive Director said.

Sri Lanka, which once had 3,000 paddy varieties, 700 banana varieties and 60 kurakkan and gingelly varieties, now was left with only hybrid seeds in abundance, he said.

“We can’t import compost. Alien micro-organisms will enter the country and the impact of these new entrants will have devastating impacts. Importing urban waste is not a good idea because these contain a lot of toxins. We can’t win farmers over to organic agriculture by song and dance, the government has to send instructors who know about organic agricultural methods to farms,” he said.

CEJ Executive Director said that the yahapalana administration spent Rs. 250 million to promote organic agriculture. However, since there was no mechanism to educate and encourage the farmers, people became more skeptical about organic agriculture. The Gotabaya Rajapaksa government should be mindful of it and half-hearted and ill planned initiatives would only make people distance themselves further from organic agricultural practices, he said.

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Record 1,600 students take Russian Classical Ballet examination in Sri Lanka

Published

15 hours ago

2026/10/18

Priyan

More than 1,600 students sat this year’s Russian Classical Ballet Examination, the largest number ever to take part in the examination in Sri Lanka. Exams were held in Colombo from 5, to 18, October and in Galle on 10 October.

Students aged four and above came from across the island, including Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Negombo, Matara, Kelaniya, Panadura, Wattala, Kiribathgoda, Ratnapura, Kandy, Kurunegala, Bandarawela and Badulla. They are taught by 15 dedicated teachers trained in the Vaganova method, the renowned Russian system of classical ballet training.

They were examined by Dr. Oxana Karnovich of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, a distinguished academic and curator.

The Russian School of Ballet and Dancing was established in 2001 by Michael Ustinov, Buddhapriya Ramanayake and Mrs Chandi Aluvihare, with Mrs Galina Pleshakova as its founding instructor. Today the School is led by Director Madam Maria Popova, Counsellor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Sri Lanka.

News

Buddhist hierarchy demands prison perks for monk convicts

Published

20 hours ago

2026/10/18

Thilina Walpola

MONETABRIEF– Sri Lanka’s two most senior Buddhist chapters, Malwatte and Asgiriya, demanded special concessions for monks serving prison sentences, following the disrobing of convicted monk Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara in line with established procedures.

The chief prelate of the Asgiriya chapter, Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana, told Prisons Commissioner Senaka Palletenna that Ven. Gnanasara, who is serving a six-year sentence for contempt of court, must be released immediately.

Prison authorities have no power to release or pardon convicts, but Palletenna told the monk in Kandy on Friday that he would convey his request to the relevant government authorities.

“There is no point in talking about this and that… The entire country has been shaken (??????? ) . He must be released,” the Asgiriya chief prelate said.

The Malwatte chief prelate, Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala, appeared to accept the court verdict against Ven. Gnanasara, but asked the prisons chief whether a separate section could be established for convicted monks.

Palletenna noted that a special ward for the clergy already existed at Welikada Prison.

At least 63 convicted Buddhist monks are currently incarcerated within Sri Lanka’s criminal justice system.

Meanwhile, a group of 34 Buddhist monks named in a Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court order to vacate the vicinity of the Presidential Secretariat ended their protest and dispersed after lunch on Friday.The monks are demanding an unconditional pardon for Ven. Gnanasara, who has previously been imprisoned, making him a reconvicted prisoner.

News

Debate on NCM against Speaker postponed indefinitely

Published

20 hours ago

2026/10/18

Thilina Walpola

The debate on the no-confidence motion against Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, submitted by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has been postponed indefinitely pending the Attorney General’s opinion on certain technical issues in the motion.

Government representatives raised the matter at a meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business, pointing out that several provisions of the motion required clarification and that the Attorney General’s advice should be obtained.

As obtaining the opinion would take time, the debate could not be scheduled for the next parliamentary week, parliamentary sources said.

Chief Opposition Whip Gayantha Karunatilaka said a date for the debate would be decided after the Attorney General’s advice was received.

Meanwhile, Parliament is scheduled to meet from October 20 to 23, Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadeera announced.

The parliamentary business for the week was finalised at a meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business held on Friday (16) under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih.

On each sitting day, the period from 9.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. will be allocated for parliamentary business under Items 1 to 6 of Standing Order 22. Questions for Oral Answers will be taken up from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., followed by questions under Standing Order 27(2) from 11 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.

On Tuesday, October 20, an Opposition-sponsored Adjournment Motion will be debated from 11.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

On Wednesday, October 21, a resolution under the Public Debt Management Act and a Supplementary Estimate will be taken up for debate and approval from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The annual reports of five statutory institutions will subsequently be presented for approval without debate, while questions at the Adjournment Time will be taken up from 5 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

On Thursday, October 22, the Second Reading debates on two Bills to amend the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Bills Nos. 79 and 80) will be held from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The annual reports of five statutory institutions will then be taken up for approval without debate, followed by an Opposition-sponsored Adjournment Motion from 5 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

On Friday, October 23, the Second Reading debate on the Elimination of Rabies and Registration of Dogs Bill will be held from 11.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. A Government-sponsored Adjournment Motion will be debated during the final half-hour of the sitting.