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Unscientific and irrational decision making in vital areas of the economy is a serious constraint to the country’s economic and social development. Decisions of momentous significance for agriculture are taken without consultation with scientists and agronomists. Instead, persons who have little knowledge of the field and have serious prejudices are determining agricultural policy.
There is a huge gap between decision makers in agricultural policy and agronomic research. Policy decisions have been taken without taking into account either the available research knowledge or ground realities such as labour shortages that are a critical constraint to agricultural development.

Seminar
This was the strong message that came out at the seminar on “The future of agriculture and food security in Sri Lanka” organized jointly by the Marga Institute and the Gamani Corea Foundation on January 30th. Several agronomists underscored the need to use available scientific knowledge and research findings in determining agricultural policies.

Speakers
The main presentation was made by Professor Buddhi Marambe, Professor of Crop Science of the University of Peradeniya. Dr. Parakrama Waidyanatha, a former Chairman of the Coconut Research Institute, former Chairman of the Kurunegala State Plantations and senior scientist demonstrated the irrationality of decisions taken on fertiliser and pesticides and provided evidence on agronomists not being involved in critical policy decisions on agriculture. Professor Jeevika Weerahewa, Professor of Agricultural Economics of the University of Peradeniya discussed the policy imperatives for food security and nutrition, while Mr. Rizvi Zaheed Director of Hayleys Agriculture explained the private sector initiatives in agriculture and the constraints faced.

Challenges
Professor Buddhi Marambe pointed out that there were serious challenges ahead for Sri Lanka’s agriculture. Feeding the increasing global population, as well as Sri Lanka’s increasing population, in the context of climate change is an enormous task. He pointed out that policy changes and climate change are unpredictable, human induced and detrimental to agriculture. He stressed the need to take decisions with knowledge of the ground situation and based on sound scientific knowledge in order to meet the challenges of climate change and produce the food needs of the future.

Climate change
Climate change, Professor Marambe said was a reality that has to be faced. “Dry areas would get dryer and wet areas wetter. We have to accept these facts and respond to them scientifically”. He said both policy changes and climate change were “unpredictable and human-induced” and together had a detrimental effect.

“The world population will increase to 10 billion by 2050. Here in Sri Lanka, we need to increase our food production by 50 per cent from current levels to feed our population in 2030. It is a Herculean task with limited land and water resources.”

Hotter every year
“Every year since 2000 has been hotter than the previous year breaking the record. Global warming has resulted in an increase in droughts and floods. We have experienced both recently where there is no rain when it is needed and more rain when not needed.”
The recent drought had a large impact with only one-third of the land extent during the Maha season being cultivated. “Even if we have good rainfall next season, do we have adequate seed paddy for the next cultivation season?”

Policy decisions
Prof. Marambe stressed: “We have to take judicious policy decisions or this country will be heading for trouble”. However politicians are not making the correct decisions. He justified this view based on two recent examples of policy changes with regard to fertiliser and pesticides.

Fertiliser use
Professor Marambe pointed out that decision making on fertiliser use was not based on scientific evidence and a realistic and pragmatic policy perspective. He contended that the change in the fertiliser subsidy to a cash subsidy was a move which didn’t address the real issue, which was the misuse of fertiliser.

He pointed out that all recent increases in yield and rice production were due to technology that included the use of appropriate fertilisers. If technology is overthrown, Marambe said, the system will fail. “The unfortunate problem is that changes in policy are made without consulting people who know about the subject.”

Some advisers have said that Sri Lanka was the highest user of fertiliser in the region and Asia. Professor Marambe demonstrated that a World Bank study showed that leading rice producers like Thailand, Malaysia, India, and Bangladesh were higher users of fertiliser.

Pesticide
“The same thing happened with pesticide. There was a ban imposed on pesticide but after that there was a cry for an alternate cost-effective method for weed control. He emphasised: “The real issue was the misuse of pesticides.”

Herbicide
“The same thing happened with the ban on glyphosate (a herbicide). People said this was used heavily in paddy but the problem was it was used on tea, maize and wet zone paddy. Look at the level of misinformation fed to policy makers. The result was reduced tea production. The decision is now being reversed after the damage.

People do not understand the ground level situation in Sri Lanka and they advise people to make erroneous decisions which are irreversible and significantly damage our economy and our agriculture,” Prof. Marambe called on decision makers to be impartial and discerning and to put faith in scientific methods and modern technology.

Resilient planting material
Professor Marambe stressed the need to develop climate resilient planting material, seeds and a move to animal integrated farming systems which are climate resilient. “We also need to prioritise investment in agriculture with the private sector playing a key role. Without the private sector and their intervention, agriculture cannot progress in this country. We need to strengthen entrepreneurial capacities and increase investment in research and development.”

Agronomists ignored
Dr. Parakrama Waidyanatha demonstrated very clearly how agricultural policy is not decided on by agronomists. Even the Director General of Agriculture was not consulted when deciding on the fertiliser, pesticide and weedicide issues. The several crop research institutes were not consulted or their advice not taken with respect to fertiliser and pesticide use.

Dr. Waidyanatha stressed that what was needed was a judicious use of fertiliser. Furthermore, there was no conclusive evidence that fertiliser use was the reason for chronic kidney disease (CKD). How come provinces other than the NCP that use fertiliser do not have the problem of CKD?

Conclusion
Decision making on agricultural policy illustrated the lack of scientific knowledge and ignorance of ground realities. This deficiency is also evident in other areas of decision making. The country’s economic and social development is seriously retarded by political decisions that are not knowledge based.