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MONLAR sees ulterior motive in government’s organic policy

Published

5 years ago

2021/11/4

By Rathindra Kuruwita

It was now clear that the government banned agrochemicals to break the existing cartel that controlled fertiliser imports and help its business associates, Sajeewa Chamikara of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) claimed yesterday.

Chamikara said that since banning the import of agrochemicals, the government had not held any discussions with stakeholders involved in organic agriculture in the country.

“It is now obvious that the government has no intention of going green. All it wants is to ensure that its associates will control the agrochemical market in the future. However, the government is bungling that up too.

Chamikara said that a country had to be extremely careful when bringing in organic material from other countries. Even air passengers are questioned whether they are bringing in seeds or plants from other countries.

“A lot of invasive plants have found their way into Sri Lanka. These invasive species can’t be controlled easily and one of the reasons our farmers use a lot of agrochemicals is to get rid of such plants. Imagine bringing in container loads of organic material. Imagine what can come in those? This is why most countries do not import compost and when they do, they are very careful,” Chamikara said.

Chamikara said that given that microorganisms in most agricultural lands had died due to the overuse of agrochemicals, it would take some time for the soil to recover. Until then a mixture of compost and agrochemicals need to be used in some lands for a year or two, he said. For that purpose, the stock of agrochemicals in the country was adequate, Chamikara said.

“Once this is done, we can move to more advanced stages of sustainable agriculture like ecological farming, agroforestry and analog forestry, that require little external inputs,” he said.

Due to various factors, Sri Lanka cannot have analog forests, an approach to ecological restoration which uses natural forests as guides to create ecologically stable and socio-economically productive landscapes, Chamikara said. Thus, the government needed to study what areas could be converted into ecological farming, agroforestry and analog forestry, he said.

“In some areas, due to slopes that lead to soil erosion, we will have to continuously use compost, especially in hill country vegetable farms. It is a decade long process to transition from organic farming to analog forests. The government must be practical and transparent, or the entire concept loses credibility,” he said. Chamikara said the government had done nothing to educate the farmers on how to engage in organic farming. For example those who planted tea used compost the way they used agrochemicals, which is not an effective way of using compost, he said.

“Farmers have not been told of the most basic things. Moreover, compost is only one component of organic agriculture. There are a number of specialised equipment and machinery needed to successfully engage in organic agriculture. We also need things like cutters and crushers to make compost on a large scale. There are a number of Sri Lankan companies that produce these machines, but they have not been given the necessary support to expand production,” he said.

Chamikara said that Sri Lanka also needed to gear its waste management system into making compost. Although, a large quantity of biodegradable waste was collected daily, most of it was thrown into dump sites. Compost could be created with the biodegradable waste and systems should be introduced to prevent heavy metal contamination.

“Heavy metals can come from things like batteries, bulbs and e-waste. We need to establish protocols to prevent such items from mixing with biodegradable waste,” he said.

Chamikara also said that dried leaves are not optimal for producing compost. A constant supply of fresh organic matter is needed for compost production. The government needs to put in a system where trees and grass removed from roadsides are collected and processed. Moreover, trees such as Gliricidia must be planted. “This is an exhaustive process,” he said.

Another factor that was vital for the success of organic agriculture was a healthy water table, Chamikara said. If the water table was not high, it was difficult to make organic agriculture work, he said. For this the irrigation tank network in the dry zone needed to be maintained and the continuous destruction of the forests needed to be stopped, he said.

“On the other hand, we keep on transferring land owned by small farmers to large companies. These companies are export oriented. In the first phase of shifting to organic agriculture, there is a drop in the harvest. We must take that into account and increase the area of farmlands but we are doing the opposite. In a way, the land use policy too has a role in organic agriculture. Has the government done anything that we have spoken about?” Chamikara asked.

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Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya meets Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom

Published

24 mins ago

2026/05/21

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya currently undertaking an official visit to London, United Kingdom, to participate in the 43rd Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Board of Governors Meeting 2026 held a bilateral meeting with the Yvette Cooper MP, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom ON Wednesday [20]. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Nimal Senadheera, along with officials from the Sri Lankan High Commission.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister conveyed Sri Lanka’s appreciation to the United Kingdom for the support extended in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwa, including ongoing rebuilding and recovery assistance. The Prime Minister also commended the United Kingdom’s support in facilitating increased bilateral trade and exports for Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister briefed the UK delegation on Sri Lanka’s recent economic developments and policy priorities, the Government’s commitment to advancing human rights and reconciliation, as well as Sri Lanka’s positive growth trajectory.

The two sides also exchanged views on current global geopolitical developments, challenges in the energy sector, and the importance of enhancing regional connectivity and long-term energy security.

Both sides also emphasised the importance of strengthening structured academic mobility frameworks while ensuring fairness, clarity, and integrity within migration systems.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries in areas of mutual interest.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

News

Suspects involved in sureties controversy granted bail

Published

7 hours ago

2026/05/21

Sahan Weerasooriya

Kapila Chandrasena

Airbus bribe case:

Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva yesterday (20) granted bail to Mohamed Riswan and Mohamed Irshan, who allegedly received money to stand as sureties for the late former SriLankan Airlines CEO, Kapila Chandrasena. They were identified as residents of Sanchi Arachchi Watta, situated next to the Hulftsdorp court complex.

Chandrasena was found dead at his brother-in-law, Aravinda De Silva’s residence, at No. 38, Pedris Road, Kollupitiya, on 8 May.

The Magistrate also granted bail to B. A. Tissa and Perumal Ganesh, who arranged for Riswan and Irshan to stand as sureties for Chandrasena, who is under investigation for allegedly receiving a USD 2 million bribe through his wife to facilitate an Airbus deal. They, too, residents of Sanchi Arachchi Watta, were granted bail on two personal bail of Rs. 500,000 each.

Airbus had to pay USD 4 billion in penalties after admitting it had paid huge bribes to secure contracts in 20 countries. Sri Lanka is among them.

The Magistrate directed that the Grama Niladhari should certify their residence and the relevant certificates submitted to court and to establish the financial status of those who stood as sureties for the four persons.

The court was told that Mohamed Riswan and Mohamed Irshan obtained 17 Grama Niladhari certificates from January till May 2026. On the basis of a statement recorded from Keselwatta Grama Niladhari S. Nilantha Silva police informed court that the first suspect had obtained 10 certificates and the second person seven.

Fourth suspect Ganesh had first met those who stood as sureties, on 05 May, in the court premises and struck the deal. Crime OIC of Keselwatta Police, Sub Inspector K.W.D. Anuruddha, told court that Mohamed Riswan, Mohamed Irshan and B. A. Tissa hadn’t even known who Chandrasena was and were not related to him in anyway, according to investigations. Police requested that the four persons be further remanded.

The Magistrate granted them bail and set the next hearing for 25 June.

Legal sources said that such illegal practices were rampant, and in this particular case the Court Registrar should have been able to see that the sureties were very much unlikely to be relatives of Chandrasena.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

News

Steps underway to safeguard Sri Lanka’s maritime heritage

Published

7 hours ago

2026/05/21

Sahan Weerasooriya

The government has initiated a major conservation drive to protect its fragile northern marine ecosystems, with top government officials pledging stronger action against environmental degradation, destructive fishing practices, and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in the country’s northern seas and adjacent islands.

A high-level discussion chaired jointly by Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody and Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekara was held on Tuesday (19) at the Ministry of Environment to formulate an integrated strategy aimed at safeguarding Sri Lanka’s maritime heritage and accelerating marine conservation initiatives.

Senior naval officers, top environment officials, conservation experts, and representatives from several state agencies attended the meeting, which focused heavily on the declaration of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Northern Province.

Among those present were Secretary to the Ministry of Environment K.R. Uduwawala, Chairman of the Marine Environment Protection Authority Samantha Gunasekara, Director General of the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department Prof. Turny Pradeep Kumara, Conservator General of Forests Palamakumbura, officials of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, and senior ecologists from International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Officials stressed that the protection of Sri Lanka’s northern marine zone was essential not only for biodiversity conservation but also for sustaining the livelihoods of fishing communities and strengthening the country’s maritime standing internationally.

A major concern raised during the meeting was the increasing ecological destruction caused by IUU fishing activities. Ministers warned that such unlawful practices posed a severe threat to marine biodiversity and the economic stability of local fishermen.

The discussion also focused on intensifying surveillance operations and strengthening law enforcement mechanisms to combat destructive fishing methods, including dynamite fishing, unauthorized spearfishing, and the use of banned fishing gear that continue to devastate coral reef ecosystems and endangered marine species.

Attention was also drawn to governance and infrastructure shortcomings within fishing harbours, with officials identifying the lack of proper management systems and formal regulatory mechanisms as major vulnerabilities contributing to environmental degradation.

As part of the proposed conservation strategy, several islands and surrounding marine zones in the Northern Province have now been identified for official declaration as Marine Protected Areas.

Authorities clarified that the establishment of MPAs would not undermine the livelihoods of local communities but instead promote sustainable fishing practices while opening new opportunities for eco-tourism development.

Officials said these protected marine zones could eventually be developed into internationally recognised eco-tourism destinations, generating fresh economic opportunities for the Northern Province while enhancing Sri Lanka’s environmental credentials globally.

The meeting further highlighted that the declaration of new MPAs would reinforce Sri Lanka’s commitment to international biodiversity conservation obligations and demonstrate the country’s role as a responsible custodian of the Indian Ocean’s marine resources.

A proposal was also made to establish a multi-sectoral working group comprising representatives from the Ministries of Tourism, Fisheries, Defence, Environment, and Justice to implement a coordinated mechanism for the protection of coastal and marine resources under the leadership of the Ministry of Environment.

Officials described the initiative as another significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s broader journey towards building a sustainable biosphere and ensuring long-term environmental security for future generations.

By Ifham Nizam