Features

The story of rice and some controversial predictions from the developed world

Published

3 years ago

2024/03/31

by ACB Pethiyagoda

Of the cultivated varieties of rice the commonest are Oryza Sativa and O-gaberrima the former being by far the more popular. Its organized cultivation is considered one of most significant developments in the history of mankind, so much so, that rice is synonymous with agriculture itself. It has been the staple food of the greater portion of the human race for a longer period of time than any other food crop.

Its origin, in some part of Central Asia, has not been disputed but in which country has been the subject of debate. In ancient Hindu and later in Buddhist writings rice is mentioned as a staple diet indicating its antiquity while no such references have been made in Jewish scriptures of the Old Testament indicating that the grain was not known in those parts of the world then. The most acceptable evidence of early domesticated rice was put forward in 1966 by archaeologist Wilhelm G. Solheim ll. He discovered imprints of the grain and husk of O. Sativa in pieces of pottery in the Korat region of Northern Thailand dating back to 4000 BC.

It is from there that it spread first to today’s main rice growing countries which benefit from monsoonal rainfall extending from India through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam to Southern China. From these countries the cultivation spread to other parts of every continent save Antarctica. It is believed that rice growing in India dates back to 2500 BC and in Sri Lanka to 1000 BC.

Areas around the Mediterranean were introduced to rice growing from India around 340 BC by the returning armies of Alexander the Great. Rice was introduced to the United States of America by men of a ship which docked in Charlton, South Carolina and in 1726 USA commenced exporting rice.

It is to China’s credit that cultivation was intensified by puddling the soil and transplanting four to six week old seedlings resulting in increased yields mainly by suppressing weed growth and ensuring, uniform planting distances for optimum use of water and plant nutrients.

Today India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Bangladesh account for 92 percent of the world’s total production of rice which is in the region of some 555 million tons a year.

In all Asian countries the cultivation, harvest, storage and finally the preparation of rice as a meal are all intimately connected with the culture of the people, is tied up in ritual and carried out in great reverence. The Chinese held that the most precious things in life are ‘not pearls and jade but the five grains’ of which rice is the first. The Kachins of Northern Myanmar believe that they came from the centre of the earth and were sent to a perfect country where harvests of rice were bountiful. The Balinese believed that God Vishnu gifted them rice and God Indra taught them how to grow it. In ancient India rice was considered the ‘sustenance of the human race’.

In Sri Lanka, particularly among the Buddhists and Hindus, rice is treated with the reverence shown to gods and parents. Right from ploughing the field, sowing, transplanting, harvesting, clearing the kamatha (threshing floor), threshing itself and carrying the harvest to the house are carried out at auspicious times according to age old customs and rituals. Even one’s conduct in the field or kamatha is in keeping as in a place of worship.

For instance one’s speech is guarded, food consumed during sowing, transplanting, harvesting and in a kamatha is confined to the ’embula’ (meal) of rice and certain vegetables only, meat and fish being taboo, in reverence of the Iru Deviyo, Sanda Deviyo and Kamatha Devatha. (Sun, Moon and threshing floor Gods).

When guarding the crop in the threshing floor kamatha ‘kavi’ (verses) are sung throughout the long nights to keep awake and avoid idle gossip. Paddy land extents are expressed in units known as `palas’ and ‘amuna’ which vary in extent from region to region in the country.

There are many age old customs connected with sharing the crop between the landowner and tenant cultivator and in settlement of dues for seed paddy, hire of buffaloes etc. So are the practices with regard to donations of paddy to the village headman, vidane (minor headman) school teacher, vedarala (native physician), ones parents etc.

Of Sri Lanka’s 6.61 million hectares 915,000 are in paddy cultivation. While a comparatively smaller extent, particularly in the central hills, are rain fed the major portion depends on irrigation from 372 major irrigation tanks, 294 medium tanks and about 24,000 minor tanks and anicuts. Large numbers of these cannot, unfortunately, support the entire extent of paddy land depending on them for water due to silting and damaged bunds, sluices and channels.

In 2000, according to the Dept. of Census and Statistics, the country produced 1,944,730 metric tons of rice and imported 14,530 metric tons together with 660,320 metric tons of wheat flour to meet the country’s basic food requirement.

Brown unmilled rice contains high levels of proteins, vitamins B Complex, E and K. White rice or milled rice lack these and is considered an inferior food by nutritionists. Hence, in some countries artificial vitamins are added to milled or polished rice. Both white and brown rice contain about 25 percent carbohydrates, small quantities of iodine, iron, magnesium and phosphorus and are free of fat, sodium and cholesterol and have no protein value. Rice is a complex carbohydrate with about 200 calories to a tea cupful. In Japan, China and some other Eastern countries rice forms the base for potent alcoholic drinks.

It is not often, but there are instances, where the growing of certain crops have been condemned by environmentalists and others. For instance in Sri Lanka chena (slash and burn) cultivation from ancient times and the opening up of land at high elevations for tea plantations in the 1870s have been established, without doubt, as the cause of dwindling water supplies and heavy soil erosion through loss of forest cover.

Recently the expansion of oil palm cultivation in the Southern province has been opposed by some for socio-economic reasons, the validity of which has still to be verified. Similarly, cultivation of rice was suspected to be a health hazard in the Mediterranean area in the 16th century when malaria was a serious disease in those parts. It was thought that wetland rice cultivation caused ‘mal air’ which spread disease resulting in the expansion of the area under cultivation being severely curtailed in Southern Europe.

In 1988, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the National Science Foundation reported that the ‘green house effect’ is caused by increased human activity resulting in the production of certain gasses, methane being one, which ‘dirty’ the atmosphere. This is said to prevent the release of the earth’s heat to outer space. Both organizations agree that without global intervention this problem will increase the rate of one percent a year. They claim that the highest production of methane is in the rice field world over and rice plants themselves act as gas vents releasing greater concentrations into the atmosphere.

The problem according to these agencies is if magnified by rice areas being expanded with increasing irrigation facilities and especially by the increase of double cropped rice areas. “Rice fields are suspected of putting 115 million tons of methane into the atmosphere each year. This is at least equal to the total production from all of the world’s natural swamps and wet lands” according to RE and HE Hukein in their book Rice; Then and Now.

Can this situation lead to more than half the worlds population being coerced to give up producing and eating rice and take to eating, perhaps, wheat? Most rice eating people are in the developing world and large numbers of them can hardly afford to eat, even as it is, one square meal of rice a day due to abject poverty. Can these people then afford to eat even that little of an imported food?

The developed world must give the lead or assist by solving this grave problem by finding easy means to eliminate, reduce or better still convert methane in paddy lands to a product beneficial to man. This is not an impossibility if there is a will; did the developed world not put a man on the moon over three decades ago? Did the developed world not produce nuclear weapons about five decades ago which destroyed whole cities from the safety of a distance of several thousands of miles? Depending entirely on the developed world to come to the aid of the rice eating people, to say the least, will be unwise. The problem needs a universal approach if at some future date the whole world is to be saved from starvation.

The magnitude of this situation is hardly comparable but we have not forgotten the theory about 30 years ago that coconut oil, produced in the tropics, and used world over was a health hazard and the then less popular soya and sunflower oils produced in a wider range of climates promoted good health. Now that those vegetable oils are well established coconut oil is said to be less harmful or even harmless than thought of earlier.

Likewise, if rice production is curtailed due to the methane scare and other grains such as wheat dominate the worlds markets will the danger of methane produced in rice fields be considered less harmful? In any event the wheat producing countries cannot increase production to meet the entire world’s requirement as a basic food item.

The people whose staple food is rice, particularly in the developing world, must band together or face higher levels of hunger than now. Should they fail to do so oblivious for the USEPA’s warning in the late 1980s of the methane threat they will be deprived of even half filled bowls of rice they contend with now.

In addition, people in the South Asian region have been warned recently by the US of a three kilometre thick cloud of toxic particles over their lands which could cause serious damage the environment which obviously will adversely affect their food supply. The looming crisis could be the worst the entire world has ever faced with regard to its supply of food.

(This article by a career planter and agriculturist who worked on special projects for the Ceylon Tobacco Co. Ltd. post-retirement was first published in Oct. 2002)

All News Advertisement

Up Next

Russian Presidential Election results

Don't Miss

Hoteliering

Click to comment

Features

New US sanctions on ICC, a fillip to worldwide political repression

Published

18 hours ago

2026/10/15

Thilina Walpola

The International Criminal Court in session. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s warning to the International Criminal Court (ICC) was stark: ‘Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC.’ It followed US central administration accusations that the court was unfairly targeting Americans on the basis of trumped-up war crimes charges.

However, a new plethora of sanctions has been clamped on the ICC by the US, which in turn has spurred accusations by sections of the world that the latter has unleashed an ‘assault’ on the international legal order.

What some of the sanctions would mean for the ICC was outlined by Rubio: ‘We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling their ability to operate against us.’

The ICC has shown consistency of purpose over the years. Despite some operational constraints it has indicted a large number of political strongmen from around the world, accused of war crimes and other governance excesses that come under its purview. Two such recent figures are: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Rather than enjoy a mere nominal presence in the world community, the ICC has proved its effectiveness by detaining and bringing to justice scores of VIP politicians and others of their ilk who have been found guilty of human rights abuses and kindred excesses that come within the terms of reference of the ICC.

Accordingly, the international justice system would be stymied considerably as a result of the ICC being dis-empowered, particularly financially. Needless to say, potential and real perpetrators of the species of crime coming under the jurisdiction of the ICC would stand to gain most from such anarchic tendencies. That is, political repression globally would be enabled to enjoy a new lease of life.

A detailing of the types of crime coming under the purview of the ICC provides an idea of what it would cost the international community if the ICC’s operations are gravely hampered. They are mainly: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

That is, the part of the world to be worst affected would be the global South, since the latter is awash with the mentioned crimes. Needless to say, a chronically-disaffected South will sooner rather than later undermine the well being of the world dangerously. The world is already being put through these paces.

At the time of writing, ‘illegal migrants’ from the South, for example, are aggravating many a Western economy’s woes, besides creating for them acute law and order issues. The fact that these migrants’ presence goes on to become a virtual test of the migrant receiving states’ ability to forge domestic social inclusion in the face of jingoistic protests by mainly white supremacist groups is evidence of the latter. As is known, the US, to take just one example, has been up against this crisis for quite a while.

Accordingly, it will be in the best interests of the West if ‘illegal’ migrant arrivals on their shores are stemmed. If the socio-political and economic problems assailing the South are effectively managed through North-South collaborative, ‘trouble-shooting’ efforts the causes leading to ‘illegal’ migration and connected issues could be resolved at source as it were. For, it is the aggravation of the South’s material questions that lays the basis for the emergence of repressive and anti-democratic regimes in the hemisphere.

Until such time that the aforementioned issues in North-South relations are visited afresh and addressed urgently, a vibrantly functioning ICC would be needed. For, the latter would prove a deterrent to Southern political and military strongmen, highly prone to power abuse and like excesses, from coming into being in the wake of the South’s chronic material woes and the wars and conflicts that result from them.

It stands to reason then that the US would be acting in its own interests by enabling the ICC to perpetuate its mandate without hindrance. For a crop of issues that impinges negatively on internal law and order would be defused.

Meanwhile, there needs to be a meeting of minds among the rest of the West to put back in place a North-South dialogue process aimed at reducing some of the economic pressures that are weighing on the South.

Since economics usually drives politics it will be in the interests of the world community to scrutinizingly re-visit North-South issues of the past and put in place economic relief packages for Southern publics that would enable them to tide over their material hardships rather than permit the latter to aggravate into social disaffection and eventually armed militancy. It is the latter juncture that paves the way for the emergence of authoritarian rulers in the South who then go on to be a blight on their publics.

Accordingly, the Southern-based global development thinking of the past that envisaged a more equitable world economic order needs to be seen as an urgent need. That is, NAM’s international development paradigms need to be resuscitated to the extent possible.

It is unlikely that rightist governments of the West, such as the current Republican administration in the US, would find these projects feasible, but democratic states of Europe, led by perhaps the UK, are likely to think otherwise. For it would not be beneficial for the democratic world to be having on their hands repressive governments in the South who would be gravitating towards the major military and economic actors of the South, such as Iran and North Korea, who tend to be in constant power struggles with the West.

However, until such time that the mentioned, pro-people initiatives are given serious thought the ICC would need to be enabled by the international community to be in place comfortably and carry on with its mandate of bringing repressive rulers to book. Besides the ICC should pave the way for the peoples of the developing world to enjoy some substantial respite from the political repression and even terror which tend to be their lot.

Meanwhile, the wars of West Asia are relentlessly aggravating the economic hardships of people everywhere, driving the point home to enlightened sections that there is no alternative to peacemaking. A challenge is to convert the US under President Trump to this line of thinking.

Features

Clear, soft and shine-free skin

Published

18 hours ago

2026/10/15

Thilina Walpola

This week, I give you five simple, time-tested homemade remedies that help reduce the appearance of blemishes, control excess shine and leave your skin feeling softer and smoother.

The Honey and Lemon Brightening Dab:

For stubborn blemish marks, this is a classic. Mix one teaspoon of pure bee honey with three to four drops of fresh lemon juice. Apply gently, only on the affected spots, and leave for 10 minutes before rinsing with lukewarm water. While honey soothes and softens, lemon helps to brighten naturally. Use twice a week in the evening.

Besan and Rose Water Oil-Control Pack:

An ideal remedy to combat shine, especially on the T-zone. Take two teaspoons of besan (gram flour) and mix with sufficient rose water to form a smooth paste. Add a pinch of turmeric for its antiseptic goodness. Apply evenly, keep for 15 minutes and wash off. It absorbs excess oil without over-drying, leaving a beautiful matte finish.

Aloe Vera and Cucumber Ice Soother:

Blend fresh aloe vera gel with the juice of a grated cucumber and freeze the mixture in an ice tray. Each morning, wrap one cube in a soft muslin cloth and gently rub over a cleansed face for 30 seconds. It calms, tightens pores and imparts a baby-soft smoothness.

Oatmeal and Curd Gentle Polish:

Roughness and old blemish marks need gentle exfoliation. Combine one tablespoon of finely powdered oatmeal with one tablespoon of fresh curd (yoghurt). Massage very gently, in circular motions, for one minute, leave for five minutes and rinse. It removes dead cells and unveils softer, clearer skin.

Multani Mitti and Green Tea Magic Mask:

Brew some green tea and allow it to cool completely. Mix one and a half teaspoons of Multani Mitti (Fuller’s Earth) with the tea water to make a fine paste. Apply for 10 to 12 minutes – do not let it dry and crack completely – and wash off. It draws out impurities, fades blemishes and bestows a fresh, shine-free glow.

A Gentle Reminder:

As with any natural remedy, always do a patch test on your inner arm first. For those with oily or combination skin, avoid heavy coconut oil application and harsh scrubbing, as they tend to aggravate shine and blemishes.

Features

Compete, shine and be discovered at WCOPA 2027

Published

18 hours ago

2026/10/15

Thilina Walpola

Dream of performing on a world stage? Well, here is your unique, golden opportunity!

The World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) — the one and only official “Talent Olympics” — is the world’s premier global platform for aspiring singers, dancers, actors, models, instrumentalists, etc., to compete, shine and be discovered!

And, yes, this world stage is open to YOU, Sri Lankans living in Sri Lanka and overseas!

Held annually in glittering Las Vegas, WCOPA brings together over 70 countries, all competing for Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals, just like the traditional Olympics.

Lakisha Bernard: Will represent Team Sri Lanka at WCOPA 2027

Outstanding performers vie for the coveted titles of Junior and Senior Grand Champion Performer of the World, with winners and standout participants awarded over $500,000 in scholarships, cash awards and prizes to catapult their education and careers!

Sri Lanka is already making waves! At WCOPA 2026, Natharie Wickramasinghe, representing Team Sri Lanka, made the nation proud by winning a Bronze Medal in the Ethnic/Folklore Dance category!

Lakisha: Accomplished freelance Model and Fashion Design graduate

Recruitment for this prestigious competition is handled through a system of scouts and licensed National Directors — and this is where our very own Chris Rajendra, now based in Las Vegas, and National Director for Team Sri Lanka, comes into the scene.

If you are a singer, dancer, actor, model, instrumentalist — if you have talent burning inside you — contact Chris Rajendra today for registration and, who knows, you may find yourself in Las Vegas, and proudly draped in the Sri Lankan flag, at WCOPA 2027!

The contact address is: Chris Rajendra, wcopa.nationaldirector.sl@gmail.com

or chris.rajendra@gmail.com

Meanwhile, a star is born for 2027, in the form of Lakisha Bernard who is all set to represent Team Sri Lanka at WCOPA 2027.

Originally hailing from the sun-drenched coastal city of Colombo and now carving out her creative career in Canada, 22-year-old Lakisha is stepping into the international spotlight.

This accomplished freelance Model and Fashion Design graduate has officially been appointed as the Team Sri Lanka Promoter for Canada as she prepares to represent Team Sri Lanka at WCOPA in Las Vegas.

Lakisha brings a unique blend of high-fashion sensibility, captivating camera presence and expert garment design to the Team.

Having built her career, from local college shoots to high-glamour concepts, Lakisha’s inspiring journey embodies the true spirit of cultural bridge-building and creative resilience, bringing immense pride and recognition to Sri Lanka on the global stage.

WCOPA 2027 will be held at the legendary Westgate Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, from 12th to 20th July – the very same iconic arena where the late, great Elvis Presley himself performed!

Your moment is now. Your stage is Las Vegas, so hurry and contact Chris Rajendra.