News
Threat on food security ‘significant’ and could be ‘imminent’: survey
BY SANATH NANAYAKKARE
Over 90% of commercial farmers involved in a survey conducted among 1,042 farmers, in all the nine provinces, of the country say they currently use chemical fertiliser, and almost all of them expect reduction in their harvest by about 47% in the upcoming season if they are not able to use chemical fertiliser.
This was revealed by Dr. Nishan de Mel, Executive Director of Verité Research, at a virtual meeting held by the institute on Wednesday, where the institute released the results of an islandwide survey conducted with farmers related to the ban on using chemical fertiliser.
“On April 22, 2021, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced a ban on the import of chemical fertiliser in Sri Lanka and Verite Research conducted a telephone survey to elicit the views of farmers on this policy and its expected impact. This is the first time that the perception of Sri Lankan farmers on this policy is being presented based on statistically representative island wide survey results,” De Mel said.
Speaking further on the survey findings, he said: “Over 90% of farmers surveyed said they currently use chemical fertilizer, and almost all of them (85%) expect huge reductions in their harvest – an average expected reduction of 47% if they are not able to use chemical fertilizer.
“Almost two-thirds of the farmers said they are supportive of the government’s vision to move Sri Lanka into organic agriculture, but almost 80% of those who are supportive feel that it would require more than one year to do so.
“The highest dependency on chemical fertilizer is among paddy farmers (94%) followed by tea and rubber (89%). There is a low level of confidence on the knowledge required for the transition. Only 20% of the farmers said they had adequate knowledge on suitable organic fertilizer and the proper application of it to their crops.”
“There are three major requests the farmers wish to make to the government. No.1; advise and instructions on organic fertiliser. No 2; more time, so that it can be a gradual transition and No. 3; standardised supply of organic alternatives.” he further said.
Responding to queries raised by the media, he said, “Verité Research implemented this telephone survey in July 2021 among 1,042 farmers through Vanguard Survey, a specialised survey agency in Sri Lanka. The survey sample consisted of farmers who cultivated crops for commercial purposes, and was distributed evenly among all the nine provinces. Additionally, only farmers who cultivate more than half-an-acre and have engaged in farming for more than three years were selected for the survey. The survey was conducted among farmers who cultivated paddy, fruits, vegetables, coconut, tea, minor export crops such as spices and cereal.”
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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