Automation and modern technology way forward to revive SL agriculture
Automation and using modern technology is the way forward towards reviving Sri Lanka’s agriculture out of a crisis facing the sector, according to Aruna Weerakoon, Chairman, National Agribusiness Council.
Revealing the above view, he spoke to the Business Times on the sidelines of the media briefing held in Colombo this week to announce the holding of a one day workshop on Agricultural Machinery to be held on March 10 at the BMICH.
Mr. Weerakoon said that around 15 years ago almost all the farmers in the country were subsistence farmers but due to the efforts of the corporate entities involved in agribusiness around 30 per cent of these subsistence farmers have been able to transform successfully into stand-alone units.
He said that their attempt is to leap-frog this 30 per cent into 100 per cent in the shortest possible time which would help these farmers to profitability with all the luxuries of housing, vehicles for their own transport and to transport their farm produce.
Next month’s “Machinery Exhibition” is being sponsored by Shell through their Sri Lankan representative NM Distributors (Pvt) Ltd, a part of Neil Marine Group.
L. P. Thillekeratne, Director, NM Distributors told Business Times that the regular use of lubricants in the agricultural machinery would increase the life span of these machinery thereby the saving would be considerable in the long-run.
He said that though Shell has given up the distribution of LP Gas in Sri Lanka they are very active in the supply of lubricants and other fuels needed in the industries etc. He said that they supply lubricants for the entire Sri Lankan Navy fleet, airports, etc. He said that they supply lubricants for the automotive industry, industrial machinery, marine sector, hydraulic machinery among other things.