Features

Expert advisor, sustainable farming and the rice farmer

Published

4 years ago

2021/11/7

Sahan Weerasooriya

by M. P. Dhanapala,

Retired Director, Rice Research and Development, Batalagoda

Email: ,maddumadhanapala@yahoo.com

Tel: 071 8412444

The two critical facts relevant to rice farming in Ceylon/Sri Lanka that one might consider seriously when dealing with farmers are as follows:

1. Rice cultivation is the least remunerative of all occupations and that the farmers grow rice mainly because of the social dignity attached to it (Bevan, 1914),

2. And that farming is an independent profession that cannot be governed by rules and regulations.

Now we can witness that both the above aspects are being overlooked. Farmers come out with slogans demanding fertilizer because they know that the little profit they had in rice farming is denuded by the unfamiliar organic manure based sustainable rice cultivation. And now they are adamant that they would not cultivate rice if inorganic fertilizers and other agro-chemicals are not allowed. No rules or regulations can force them to cultivate their lands, unless they do it voluntarily. You may intimidate them by threatening to confiscate the land, but this may worsen the situation.

They humiliate policy makers, because right now they are the most affected by this abrupt change in the policy. You may interpret this as a politically motivated issue and take the least resistant path, but this is real. This is the situation we witness almost daily from the news telecasts in TV, radio and news papers; the farmers are almost on the verge of losing the only opportunity for their hand to mouth existence. They have families to look after, children to educate and meet the basic requirements of food and clothing, even if the shelter and health facilities are available. You need not have a sixth sense, but just common sense to predict this situation.

One of the farmers on a hunger strike at Elahera, demanding fertilizer and agro chemicals, was quoted on TV responding to a Div. Secretary who told him to “use the liquid nano urea and see “, by saying, ” Madam, you get a salary at the end of each month for sure, but we get nothing and cannot afford to wait six months to see the results of this experiment as we do not know what will happen. Let them do it and show us”. So the writing is on the wall and we are set to get a double punch, Covid and Famine.

I worked in paddy fields of the RRDI, Batalagoda for 31 long years; drinking the so called contaminated water from wells adjoining paddy fields manured with inorganic fertilizers and breathing polluted air of “Wasa Visa” generated by herbicides and pesticides. So did the work force and other field staff (skilled and unskilled). We never had bottled water for drinking or air conditioned rooms for working in or salubrious conditions outside in the field, but never complained. I hope my kidneys are functional at this age; also my four children did not end up in cancer hospital. And we never had any incidences of kidney failures other than occasional stones in the urinary system, probably due to drinking hard water and inadquate intake of clean water. Now, we know chronic kidney disease of unidentified etiology (CKDu) is confined to one region, but the use of fertilizer and other agrochemicals is well distributed throughout the country.

There is enough scientific evidence published and communicated through media, regarding the root causes of CKDu, but our educated advisors do not respond or are reluctant to accept this insisting that the disease is caused by inorganic fertilizers and other agro-chemicals. Also, they brand the scientific informants as recepients of rewards from chemical companies for promoting their products. I have never received any reward from any company.

When it comes to fertilizer and other agro-chemicals, the most sensitive group is a handful of medical professionals. They have inculcated misconceptions in the minds of policy makers and the general public that cannot be easily got rid of. However, we are grateful to them for their great concern for our health. Now, let me ask who introduced Chlorinated Hydro Carbon, DDT, to control the malaria mosquito domestically? Was it the Department of Agriculture (DOA) or the Rice Research and Development Institute (RRDI)? During my childhood, I had seen DDT spraying of such a heavy density in one shot, almost “white washing” the walls and the cadjan roof of our homes at least once a year with DDT.

This is the first insecticide introduced to Ceylon/Sri Lanka. If I ask medical opinion on this, someone might say casually, the risk of malaria (certain death then) is much higher than that of carrying a small quantum of DDT in the liver. Fair-enough. Some medical professionals are crazy, highlighting that the modern rice varieties are hybrids or genetically transformed entities. They do not know that they do not know, same as we do not know many things in the medical field. We don’t have any genetically transformed rice varieties or hybrid varieties in Sri Lanka, except Bg 407, the seeds of which are not being produced (Govikam Sangarawa, Page 11-17, 2020). If I turn back and ask, what is Humulin administered to manage diabetes or what are those vaccines like, Astra-Zeneca, Pfizer, Sputnik, Moderna, Sinopharm etc. administered to protect from COVID 19, the answer may be that ” they are non-virulent or mild products (DNA/RNA) to build up the immune system by antibody formation or by cross-protection”.

Aren’t they genetically modified material ? We have nothing against them, but aren’t they products of multinational companies? I do not want to ask the second question about the rewards because I respect the medical profession. Why then the diabolical standards of medical professionals (not all) that are not in favor of agriculture, on which they also depend for their own needs of food for existence. The recommended usage of agro-chemicals, approved by the Registrar of Pesticides, is within the safe limits as any of the medical prescriptions are, to patients. No casualties were reported so far due to eating rice of modern varieties produced using agrochemicals. Those claims on the spread of non-communicable diseases are based on incomplete scientific evidence.

There are procedures to circumvent these incidences if needed (Govikam Sangarawa, Page 11-17, 2020). We have well defined Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) as recommendations, but no trained extension staff at ground level to excute them; this important fact was deliberately ignored with provincialization. But, now that is history.

The expert advisors, like some of us, are from the same school of thought though our teachers and the thinking processes are different. We cannot rule out the generation gap or the possibility of emerging outliers though the school is the same. I am from the old generation when we had only one School of Agriculture (Department of Agriculture) and one Faculty of Agriculture (University of Ceylon). Both of these were located at Peradeniya. Like the first generation of fertilizer, urea for example, I also learnt from the first generation of teachers in the Faculty of Agriculture; some of them were teachers of the school of Agriculture earlier.

I was totally confused when the farmers were told that urea will be replaced with “liquid nitrogen”. No fool would believe it if he knew the status of liquid nitrogen in storage and the temperature at which nitrogen will remain in the liquid state. And also argue why the gaseous nitrogen cannot enter the plant system through stomata and perform its function within the plant the way that carbon dioxide or oxygen in the atmosphere does. We have nitrogen, more than any other gas in the atmosphere. Please excuse me as I am from the old school and unfamiliar with the so=called nano-technology.

Now the farmers are more confused when we were talking of third or fourth generation of nano-urea formulation as the source of nitrogen. Earlier we were talking of organic nitrogen extracts from seaweeds. The so-called nano-urea may be different from first generation urea, which is not considered organic in organic farming. The nano-urea cargo received from India is within the country and being distributed among the rice farmers. Also, this is described as very efficient; four times as efficient when compared to first generation urea as a fertilizer, but comes as a solution and has to be applied through foliar means to be absorbed through stomata, hydathodes etc. on the leaf surface. As it appears, I do not smell anything wrong other than that stomata are concentrated on the lower surface of the leaf; it may work much better than urea applied to the root zone soil, if everything goes according to the expectations, in spite of the fact that the source of nitrogen is the so called prohibitive urea.

My first concern is, have this product/technology being field tested in scientifically designed experiments? Whether this technology is appropriate; feasible, sustainable, economically viable and as effective as or better than the soil application of urea? Also, can this nano-urea look after the peak requirements of nitrogen at different growth stages of the rice plant?; that is, timely applications at different growth stages of the plant is needed or not.

Rice, being a grass, has a fibrous root system. Anyone who has done basic botany would know that absorption of water and nutrients is the major function of the root system, beside anchorage of the plant. Water ascends through vessels (xylem) by the evapo-transpirational pull, but the nutrient elements need energy to travel up against the osmotic gradient. Similarly, the shoot system of the rice plants has distinct functions. Evapo-transpiration, gaseous exchange (CO2 and O2), in addition to trapping solar radiation for hydrolysis of water to generate energy for different physiological processes within the plant, are the primary functions of the shoot system. Apart from performing these functions, the shoot system of the rice plant is not naturally or evolutionarily designed to absorb water or nutrients, the functions performed primarily by the root system. This may not be so in epiphytes and xerophytes, however. To my mind, therefore, foliar feeding of the rice plant appears similar to feeding someone from the distal/wrong end of the alimentary canal; besides, nitrogen is not a micro element but a major nutrient required in large quantities. Therefore, efficacy of foliar absorption of nutrients in rice is needed to be determined prior to the recommendation of the intended technology.

Now, we are going to replace a technology (soil application of urea) which is appropriate and well established, with an alternative technology based on inconclusive evidence of expert advisors, but unfamiliar to the rice farmer. This is ready for implementation. These expert advisors therefore can come out from their hiding places to demonstrate this technological package for rice farmers of different agro-ecological regions to convince them. We should not blame the staff of rice research for the failure to implement this innovative and valuable technological package in the field. It is the responsibility of the advisors to promote the package by demonstrating it to the farmers and establish their recognition in the minds of the public. They fail in their duty if this new technology is not demonstrated to the new generation of rice farmers they intend to bring up in the country and help the government to alleviate the farmer unrest.

I have all the rights to demand the expert advisors to demonstrate their “Technological Package” as I was recognized in 2014 by the President’s Award (His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa) for development of modern rice varieties and spearheading the development of a technological package to acheive self-sufficiency in rice.

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Features

Crucial test for religious and ethnic harmony in Bangladesh

Published

9 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

A political protest that led to governmental change in Bangladesh mid last year. (photograph: imago)

Will the Bangladesh parliamentary election bring into being a government that will ensure ethnic and religious harmony in the country? This is the poser on the lips of peace-loving sections in Bangladesh and a principal concern of those outside who mean the country well.

The apprehensions are mainly on the part of religious and ethnic minorities. The parliamentary poll of February 12th is expected to bring into existence a government headed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist oriented Jamaat-e-Islami party and this is where the rub is. If these parties win, will it be a case of Bangladesh sliding in the direction of a theocracy or a state where majoritarian chauvinism thrives?

Chief of the Jamaat, Shafiqur Rahman, who was interviewed by sections of the international media recently said that there is no need for minority groups in Bangladesh to have the above fears. He assured, essentially, that the state that will come into being will be equable and inclusive. May it be so, is likely to be the wish of those who cherish a tension-free Bangladesh.

The party that could have posed a challenge to the above parties, the Awami League Party of former Prime Minister Hasina Wased, is out of the running on account of a suspension that was imposed on it by the authorities and the mentioned majoritarian-oriented parties are expected to have it easy at the polls.

A positive that has emerged against the backdrop of the poll is that most ordinary people in Bangladesh, be they Muslim or Hindu, are for communal and religious harmony and it is hoped that this sentiment will strongly prevail, going ahead. Interestingly, most of them were of the view, when interviewed, that it was the politicians who sowed the seeds of discord in the country and this viewpoint is widely shared by publics all over the region in respect of the politicians of their countries.

Some sections of the Jamaat party were of the view that matters with regard to the orientation of governance are best left to the incoming parliament to decide on but such opinions will be cold comfort for minority groups. If the parliamentary majority comes to consist of hard line Islamists, for instance, there is nothing to prevent the country from going in for theocratic governance. Consequently, minority group fears over their safety and protection cannot be prevented from spreading.

Therefore, we come back to the question of just and fair governance and whether Bangladesh’s future rulers could ensure these essential conditions of democratic rule. The latter, it is hoped, will be sufficiently perceptive to ascertain that a Bangladesh rife with religious and ethnic tensions, and therefore unstable, would not be in the interests of Bangladesh and those of the region’s countries.

Unfortunately, politicians region-wide fall for the lure of ethnic, religious and linguistic chauvinism. This happens even in the case of politicians who claim to be democratic in orientation. This fate even befell Bangladesh’s Awami League Party, which claims to be democratic and socialist in general outlook.

We have it on the authority of Taslima Nasrin in her ground-breaking novel, ‘Lajja’, that the Awami Party was not of any substantial help to Bangladesh’s Hindus, for example, when violence was unleashed on them by sections of the majority community. In fact some elements in the Awami Party were found to be siding with the Hindus’ murderous persecutors. Such are the temptations of hard line majoritarianism.

In Sri Lanka’s past numerous have been the occasions when even self-professed Leftists and their parties have conveniently fallen in line with Southern nationalist groups with self-interest in mind. The present NPP government in Sri Lanka has been waxing lyrical about fostering national reconciliation and harmony but it is yet to prove its worthiness on this score in practice. The NPP government remains untested material.

As a first step towards national reconciliation it is hoped that Sri Lanka’s present rulers would learn the Tamil language and address the people of the North and East of the country in Tamil and not Sinhala, which most Tamil-speaking people do not understand. We earnestly await official language reforms which afford to Tamil the dignity it deserves.

An acid test awaits Bangladesh as well on the nation-building front. Not only must all forms of chauvinism be shunned by the incoming rulers but a secular, truly democratic Bangladesh awaits being licked into shape. All identity barriers among people need to be abolished and it is this process that is referred to as nation-building.

On the foreign policy frontier, a task of foremost importance for Bangladesh is the need to build bridges of amity with India. If pragmatism is to rule the roost in foreign policy formulation, Bangladesh would place priority to the overcoming of this challenge. The repatriation to Bangladesh of ex-Prime Minister Hasina could emerge as a steep hurdle to bilateral accord but sagacious diplomacy must be used by Bangladesh to get over the problem.

A reply to N.A. de S. Amaratunga

A response has been penned by N.A. de S. Amaratunga (please see p5 of ‘The Island’ of February 6th) to a previous column by me on ‘ India shaping-up as a Swing State’, published in this newspaper on January 29th , but I remain firmly convinced that India remains a foremost democracy and a Swing State in the making.

If the countries of South Asia are to effectively manage ‘murderous terrorism’, particularly of the separatist kind, then they would do well to adopt to the best of their ability a system of government that provides for power decentralization from the centre to the provinces or periphery, as the case may be. This system has stood India in good stead and ought to prove effective in all other states that have fears of disintegration.

Moreover, power decentralization ensures that all communities within a country enjoy some self-governing rights within an overall unitary governance framework. Such power-sharing is a hallmark of democratic governance.

Features

Celebrating Valentine’s Day …

Published

9 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love, romance, and affection, and this is how some of our well-known personalities plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day – 14th February:

Merlina Fernando (Singer)

Yes, it’s a special day for lovers all over the world and it’s even more special to me because 14th February is the birthday of my husband Suresh, who’s the lead guitarist of my band Mission.

We have planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day and his Birthday together and it will be a wonderful night as always.

We will be having our fans and close friends, on that night, with their loved ones at Highso – City Max hotel Dubai, from 9.00 pm onwards.

Lorensz Francke (Elvis Tribute Artiste)

On Valentine’s Day I will be performing a live concert at a Wealthy Senior Home for Men and Women, and their families will be attending, as well.

I will be performing live with romantic, iconic love songs and my song list would include ‘Can’t Help falling in Love’, ‘Love Me Tender’, ‘Burning Love’, ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’, ‘The Wonder of You’ and ‘’It’s Now or Never’ to name a few.

To make Valentine’s Day extra special I will give the Home folks red satin scarfs.

Emma Shanaya (Singer)

I plan on spending the day of love with my girls, especially my best friend. I don’t have a romantic Valentine this year but I am thrilled to spend it with the girl that loves me through and through. I’ll be in Colombo and look forward to go to a cute cafe and spend some quality time with my childhood best friend Zulha.

JAYASRI

Emma-and-Maneeka

This Valentine’s Day the band JAYASRI we will be really busy; in the morning we will be landing in Sri Lanka, after our Oman Tour; then in the afternoon we are invited as Chief Guests at our Maris Stella College Sports Meet, Negombo, and late night we will be with LineOne band live in Karandeniya Open Air Down South. Everywhere we will be sharing LOVE with the mass crowds.

Kay Jay (Singer)

I will stay at home and cook a lovely meal for lunch, watch some movies, together with Sanjaya, and, maybe we go out for dinner and have a lovely time. Come to think of it, every day is Valentine’s Day for me with Sanjaya Alles.

Maneka Liyanage (Beauty Tips)

On this special day, I celebrate love by spending meaningful time with the people I cherish. I prepare food with love and share meals together, because food made with love brings hearts closer. I enjoy my leisure time with them — talking, laughing, sharing stories, understanding each other, and creating beautiful memories. My wish for this Valentine’s Day is a world without fighting — a world where we love one another like our own beloved, where we do not hurt others, even through a single word or action. Let us choose kindness, patience, and understanding in everything we do.

Janaka Palapathwala (Singer)

Janaka

Valentine’s Day should not be the only day we speak about love.

From the moment we are born into this world, we seek love, first through the very drop of our mother’s milk, then through the boundless care of our Mother and Father, and the embrace of family.

Love is everywhere. All living beings, even plants, respond in affection when they are loved.

As we grow, we learn to love, and to be loved. One day, that love inspires us to build a new family of our own.

Love has no beginning and no end. It flows through every stage of life, timeless, endless, and eternal.

Natasha Rathnayake (Singer)

We don’t have any special plans for Valentine’s Day. When you’ve been in love with the same person for over 25 years, you realise that love isn’t a performance reserved for one calendar date. My husband and I have never been big on public displays, or grand gestures, on 14th February. Our love is expressed quietly and consistently, in ordinary, uncelebrated moments.

With time, you learn that love isn’t about proving anything to the world or buying into a commercialised idea of romance—flowers that wilt, sweets that spike blood sugar, and gifts that impress briefly but add little real value. In today’s society, marketing often pushes the idea that love is proven by how much money you spend, and that buying things is treated as a sign of commitment.

Real love doesn’t need reminders or price tags. It lives in showing up every day, choosing each other on unromantic days, and nurturing the relationship intentionally and without an audience.

This isn’t a judgment on those who enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day. It’s simply a personal choice.

Melloney Dassanayake (Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2024)

I truly believe it’s beautiful to have a day specially dedicated to love. But, for me, Valentine’s Day goes far beyond romantic love alone. It celebrates every form of love we hold close to our hearts: the love for family, friends, and that one special person who makes life brighter. While 14th February gives us a moment to pause and celebrate, I always remind myself that love should never be limited to just one day. Every single day should feel like Valentine’s Day – constant reminder to the people we love that they are never alone, that they are valued, and that they matter.

I’m incredibly blessed because, for me, every day feels like Valentine’s Day. My special person makes sure of that through the smallest gestures, the quiet moments, and the simple reminders that love lives in the details. He shows me that it’s the little things that count, and that love doesn’t need grand stages to feel extraordinary. This Valentine’s Day, perfection would be something intimate and meaningful: a cozy picnic in our home garden, surrounded by nature, laughter, and warmth, followed by an abstract drawing session where we let our creativity flow freely. To me, that’s what love is – simple, soulful, expressive, and deeply personal. When love is real, every ordinary moment becomes magical.

Noshin De Silva (Actress)

Valentine’s Day is one of my favourite holidays! I love the décor, the hearts everywhere, the pinks and reds, heart-shaped chocolates, and roses all around. But honestly, I believe every day can be Valentine’s Day.

It doesn’t have to be just about romantic love. It’s a chance to celebrate love in all its forms with friends, family, or even by taking a little time for yourself.

Whether you’re spending the day with someone special or enjoying your own company, it’s a reminder to appreciate meaningful connections, show kindness, and lead with love every day.

And yes, I’m fully on theme this year with heart nail art and heart mehendi design!

Wishing everyone a very happy Valentine’s Day, but, remember, love yourself first, and don’t forget to treat yourself.

Sending my love to all of you.

Features

Banana and Aloe Vera

Published

9 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

To create a powerful, natural, and hydrating beauty mask that soothes inflammation, fights acne, and boosts skin radiance, mix a mashed banana with fresh aloe vera gel.

This nutrient-rich blend acts as an antioxidant-packed anti-ageing treatment that also doubles as a nourishing, shiny hair mask.

* Face Masks for Glowing Skin:

Mix 01 ripe banana with 01 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel and apply this mixture to the face. Massage for a few minutes, leave for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse off for a glowing complexion.

* Acne and Soothing Mask:

Mix 01 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel with 1/2 a mashed banana and 01 teaspoon of honey. Apply this mixture to clean skin to calm inflammation, reduce redness, and hydrate dry, sensitive skin. Leave for 15-20 minutes, and rinse with warm water.

* Hair Treatment for Shine:

Mix 01 fresh ripe banana with 03 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel and 01 teaspoon of honey. Apply from scalp to ends, massage for 10-15 minutes and then let it dry for maximum absorption. Rinse thoroughly with cool water for soft, shiny, and frizz-free hair.