Opinion
Increasing productivity of crop research institutes

by Dr. C .S. Weeraratna
(csweera@sltnet.lk)
Former Professor at Ruhuna and Rajarata Universities
Former Chairman, Sugarcane Research Institute
It has been reported that there is a dearth of trained scientists at the plantation crop research institutes. According to published data, there are 16 vacancies for research officers at the Tea Research Institute (TRI). The corresponding numbers for the Rubber Research Institute (RRI) and the Coconut Research Institute (CRI) are 42 and 18 respectively. The traditional plantation crop sector, which comprises Tea, Rubber, Coconut, and Sugarcane, play a key role in the Sri Lankan economy. The contribution to foreign exchange earnings, by these export crops, is the second-highest with a 21.5% share in the total export income, thus increasing the inflow of foreign exchange, substantially. It also provides employment opportunities to around 500,000.
The crop research institutes play a very important role in the development of the plantation sector. The output of these research institutions tend to be at a low level, in the absence of qualified and experience research personnel, for they carry out research in many important areas, such as breeding, control of pests and diseases, maintenance of soil fertility, economics, extension, etc., which are extremely important for the development of the plantation sector.
According to the Central Bank annual reports, the trade deficit, in Sri Lanka, has increased from Rs. 1141 billion, in 2015, to Rs 1673 billion, in 2018, and has decreased to Rs. 1430 billion, in 2019. Persistent trade deficits are detrimental to the country’s economy. If we are to reduce the trade deficit, it is essential that exports are increased and imports reduced. In this regard, plantation crops are important in increasing our export income, and crop research institutions (CIs) play an important role by developing appropriate technology.
Around 800,000 ha are cultivated with plantation crops and as indicated in Table 1, production of the three major export crops, viz tea, rubber and coconut, do not show any substantial increase during the last six years. Tea production has been fluctuating around 300 million kg per year during this period. The annual total rubber production has decreased from 99 million kg in 2014 to 75 million kg in 2019. Coconut production, too, has fluctuated between 2800 and 3000 million nuts during 2015-2019. If the productivity of this sector is raised, it would be possible to increase foreign exchange earnings, thereby reducing the trade deficit. We spend nearly Rs. 50 billion annually to import sugar. Hence, it is important to increase our local sugar production, so that expenditure on imports can be reduced, thereby reducing trade deficit.
In any attempts to reduce the trade deficit by increasing production of exports crops/reducing imports of sugar, the four research institutions have an extremely important role to play. They need to conduct research to develop better clones/planting material, methods to control pests and diseases, effective management practices, better processing and value addition technologies, effective extension etc. In fact, among the many proposals in National Policy Framework “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor” was promotion of research related to plantation crops
Hence, the Ministry of Plantation Industries need to take appropriate action to have an adequate qualified research staff at the four crop research institutions. The depletion of the research staff is likely to have contributed to the drop in crop production levels, as shown in Table 1.
There is a significant requirement for both undergraduates and postgraduates trained in subject areas related to plantation crops. Hence, there is a need to have an institution/s to impart relevant knowledge and skills related to cultivation and processing of plantation crops. Currently, except the National Institute of Plantation Management (NIPM) which offers an external three-year degree programme jointly with the Wayamba University and a few diploma courses of short duration, there is no organization providing detail knowledge and skills required for those who need training at undergraduate and postgraduate level in plantation crops.
An organization, such as a university of plantation crops in collaboration with the four research institutes, would provide such knowledge and skills. In fact, during the sector budget discussions in Parliament, a few days ago, the State Minister of Company Estate Reforms Tea and Rubber Estate Related Crops, indicated that establishing a vocational university for plantation crops to operate, under the purview of Ministry of Plantation industries, would be desirable. Such a move would enhance the research capacity of the four research institutions. It will also enable to save a substantial amount of public funds, human resources, time and also pave the way to produce a team of skilled scientists for the industry and retain senior and experienced researchers. The modalities of this proposed mechanism need to be discussed by the relevant authorities to achieve the higher possible economic benefits to the country.
Increasing the number of research staff alone will not contribute to increase production or the productivity of the plantation crops. Scientists, with adequate industrial experiences, only can contribute to the needs of the industry. Hence, an attempt should be taken to employ those with appropriate experience. They need to be provided with essential equipment, chemicals and man power, etc. It is also important that the institutions conduct relevant research. Research priorities need to be based on the needs and problems in the sector. Conducting joint research and sharing equipment would reduce expenditure.
Opinion
One of best development administrators SL ever had

Mr. K. Thayaparan (KT), who retired from the government service after serving as a development administrator for more than thirty years passed away on Jan 05 at the age of 86. He was born in 1937 in Malaya, which was then under the British rule; his father had migrated there in 1916 for employment. His father was employed in the Malayan Railways, and the family was living a happy life. In the late 1940s, there erupted a terrorist movement launched by Communists of Chinese origin. To fight with the terrorists the British Government had issued a conscription order for all school leavers above the age of 17 years to join the military. Many families with male children over 17 years fled to Ceylon to avoid conscription. Since KT’s family also had a male child who had been noticed to report for military duty, his family members too other than his father left Malaya in 1951 and came to live in Ceylon. In Jaffna, KT resumed and completed his school education. In 1958 he entered the University of Ceylon at Peradeniya to undertake studies in geography, economics and history.
During the university days, KT had won university colours in badminton. He graduated in 1961, and served as a school teacher in the Matara district. In 1962, after sitting a competitive examination, KT joined the Government Divisional Revenue Officers’ service. In 1963, together with the other officers of the DROs’ service and comparable services, KT was absorbed into the Ceylon Administrative Service that had been created in place of the Ceylon Civil Service, which had simultaneously been abolished.
Till 1975 KT served in the district administration in the northern districts, first as DRO, then as Asst. Government Agent and as Addl. Government Agent. From 1976 to 1979 he worked in the Ministry of Fisheries as Deputy Director Planning, and contributed to the development of the National Fisheries Development Plan 1979 – 1983. The Fisheries Development Plan, among other activities had concentrated on exploitation of the fish resources in the Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone, which was proclaimed in 1977, and utilisation of irrigation reservoirs and village tanks for development of inland fisheries. The Government made a policy decision to implement an accelerated programme to develop inland fisheries and aquaculture. For this purpose, a new Division called the Inland Fisheries Division was set up in the Ministry, and KT was appointed its director.
The accelerated development programme had a number of activities to perform. Establishment of fish breeding stations in different parts of the country, recruitment and training of scientific and technical officers to serve at fish breeding centres, import of exotic fish species suitable for culture in Sri Lankan inland waterbodies, training of youth in inland fishing and aquaculture, promotion of investments in shrimp farming, etc. Funding agencies like UNDP, ADB and individual countries on bilateral basis came forward to support the accelerated inland fisheries development programme by providing funds for development of infrastructure, providing technical assistance, providing foreign training for the scientific and technical staff who were mostly young people without experience, and providing advisory services. It was heavy work for KT, but he managed the Division and its work smoothly.
KT was a firm believer in team work. He knew workers in all outstation inland fisheries or aquaculture establishments by name. He distributed foreign training slots offered by donor countries or agencies to every scientific or technical officer on an equitable basis. He listened to everybody, and was quite loved by his staff. KT was quite neutral in politics. However, in spite of his hard work to develop the inland fisheries sector, he was transferred out of the Ministry in 1985 to the SLAS Pool.
In 1979 when KT took over the responsibility of developing inland fisheries and aquaculture in the country, the total national inland fish production in Sri Lanka was 17,400 tons. During his tenure of nearly six years, the national inland fish production steadily increased and in 1985, the year he was transferred it had increased to 32,700 tons, showing an increase of nearly 90%. Also, there were 4,500 inland fishing craft operating in reservoirs, and the number employed as fishers, fish collectors, fish traders, etc. was over 10,000.
After leaving the Ministry of Fisheries he served different assignments such as Director Regional Development, National Consultant or the World Bank funded Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Project, Secretary to the North-East Provincial Council Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries, and Secretary to the State Ministry Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs. In 1995, he was appointed Addl. Secretary Development of the Ministry of Fisheries, but his stay in this post was brief since the then Minister replaced him with one of his political supporters. His last government assignment was as Addl. Secretary, Ministry of Plan Implementation, National Integration and Ethnic Affairs. In 1997, he retired from the government service, but continued in a few foreign funded projects as institutional development consultant. He once told that his most productive period in the government service was as Director Inland Fisheries. After retirement he authored several books, Reminiscences of Malaya 1937 – 1951, Stories of Some Brave Men and High Achievers, and Introduction to Some Known High Achievers.
Although he was quite suitable to be appointed the Secretary to a Ministry, he was never considered for such a post. In the final years of his career, he was compelled to serve under his juniors. But he carried on regardless and did the best in whatever the capacity he served.
Hettiarachchi
Opinion
It was not Central Bank bond scam

I was surprised and sorry to read a journalist attached to The Island writing about a central bank bond scam: surprised because, the editor of The Island, in his inimitable editorials, consistently refers to a treasury bond scam; sorry, because it is simply factually wrong. I have driven home that point several times in The Island and assumed that that canard was dead. Would you permit me to flog a not-so-dead horse?
There never was a central bank bond scam; there could not have been, because there was no market in central bank bonds. The central bank has not issued its own liabilities at least since 1967. The currency notes issued by the Central Bank are liabilities of the government (aanduva/state?) of Sri Lanka. (Should you not clear up that mess confusing ‘state’ with the ‘government’? It is one thing to have faith in the state of Sri Laska and quite another to have faith in the government of Ranil Wickremesinghe.) The Central Bank issues those bills (it does currency) on behalf of the state/government of Sri Lanka and they are not the liabilities of the Central Bank or the Monetary Board. There was a scam in government bonds in 2015 as well as in 2016.
As became clearer in the course of the Chitrasiri Commission, the then-governor of the Central Bank and a few other officers of the Central Bank were parties to that financial fraud involving government bonds. The Central Bank is simply the agent of the government/state who markets government liabilities. Those liabilities do not become the Bank’s liabilities. When you carry Sri Lanka currency, you carry liabilities, much like government bonds, of an entity whose credit is low. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka is not in the picture.
Usvatte-aratchi
Opinion
Ampitiya That I Knew

Ampitiya is a village just two miles from Kandy. The road to Talatuoya, Marassana, Galaha and turning left from Talatuoya to Tennekumbura and Hanguranketha and beyond goes through Ampitiya.My family moved there in 1949 when our paternal grandfather bequeathed the ancestral home to our father to be effective after our grandfather’s demise. Until then the eldest sister of our father’s family with her family and the two bachelor brothers lived in the house. After living in various places our father was transferred to on duty, we had come to our final abode there.
The house was situated about 100 yards before the second mile post. There were paddy fields both in front of the house and behind it with a mountain further away. These were salubrious surroundings to live in. There was no hustle and bustle as in a town and the only noise would have been the occasional tooting of horns and the call of vendors selling various household needs.
The Ampitiya village extended from near the entrance to the Seminary and the school situated a short climb away along Rajapihilla Mawatha (now Deveni Rajasinghe Mawatha) on the road from Kandy ending at the gate to the Seminary, and running up to the Diurum Bodiya temple.
Ampitiya was well known thanks to the Seminary of our Lady of Lanka located there. Newly ordained Catholic priests took theology classes here. The Seminary with its majestic building commanded a fine view of the Dumbara valley. The student priests lived in the hostel called Montefano St. Sylvester’s Monastery situated just above the sloping rice fields coming down to the Kandy-Talatuoya Road. There was a volleyball court within the Montefano premises and we used to see the young priests enjoying themselves playing a game in the evenings as the court was quite visible from our house.
We, as schoolboys of the neighbourhood, used to get together during many weekends and play cricket on the roadway to the Montefano which was just past the second milepost as there was no vehicular traffic then on that road.
Ampitiya had a school started by the Catholic Church and known as Berrewaerts College which later became the Ampitiya Maha Vidyalaya. At the time our family became residents of Ampitiya this was the only school. Later the Catholic Church established a girls’ school named Carmel Hill Convent. This school enabled most girls who had to go all the way to Kandy or Talatuoya by bus to walk to school.
People who follow sports, especially athletics, would have heard the names of Linus Dias, Sellappuliyage Lucien Benedict Rosa (best known in Sri Lanka as SLB Rosa) and Ranatunga Karunananda, all Ampitiya products who participated in the Olympics as long distance runners competing in the 10,000 metres event. Linus Dias captained the Sri Lankan contingent in the Rome Olympics in 1960.Though they were not able to emulate Duncan White they took part.
Karunananda became a hero in Sri Lanka as well as in Japan when at the Tokyo Olympics of October 1964 he completed the 10,000 metre course running the last four laps all alone. The crowd cheered him all the way to the finish appreciating his courage in not abandoning the already completed race. Later he said he was living up to the Olympic motto which said the main thing is to take part and not to win.
Rosa captained the Sri Lankan team in the 1972 Munich Olympics. He switched to long distance running while still a student thanks to the Principal of Ampitiya Maha Vidyalaya, Mr. Tissa Weerasinghe (a hall mate of mine one year senior to me at Peradeniya) who had noted his stamina and asked him to switch to long distance events. I must mention that Tissa was responsible for bringing this school to a high standard from where it was when he took over.
Coincidentally, during our Ampitiya days, all the houses from Uduwela junction for about half a mile towards Talatuoya were occupied by our relatives! They included the Warakaulles, Koswattes, Pussegodas, Sangakkaras, Godamunnes, Thalgodapitiyas and Wijekoons. Now most of these houses are occupied by others.
Ampitiya area had two Buddhist temples. One was the Dalukgolla Rajamaha Viharaya on the Ratemulla Road and the other, Ampitiya Diurum Bodiya, near the third mile post. From the latter temple a famous Buddhist monk, Ven. Ampitye Rahula Thero later joined the Vajirarama temple in Colombo and was highly recognized by Buddhists just like Ven. Narada and Ven.Piyadassi Theros.
The Uduwela temple had a water spout emerging out of a granite rock where the temple priests and neighbours used to bathe and wash their clothes. This spout never ran dry.
At present the landscape of Ampitiya has changed hugely. Most of the sloping paddy fields have been filled and dwelling houses have come up. The majestic view, except for faraway mountains, is no longer present. A five-star hotel has been built just beyond the second mile post and the area has lost its previous tranquility. A person of my vintage who once lived there visiting Ampitiya now wouldn’t be able to recognize the place given the changes.
HM NISSANKA WARAKAULLE
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