News
Combined effort to tackle food issues
View(s):By Sadisha Saparamadu
A multi-sector combined mechanism has been activated to address food security in the country.
Dr Suren Batagoda, the presidential advisor on national food security told the Sunday Times that to combat malnutrition the entire economy must be revitalised so that consumers, producers and suppliers work together.
He said food should be affordable, accessible, available and of good quality and the Government plans on reducing the reliance on imports of a wide variety of crops.
“Everyone from the president to the local Grama Niladhari officer must work together to overcome the malnutrition crisis,” he said.
Explaining the structure, he said seven committees advised the president on food security that consisted of top-level advisers, officials from the tri-forces, private sector professionals and others. The president chairs the Food Security and Nutrition Council.
Dr Batagoda also said there were provincial committees, district level committees and at the lowest level Grama Niladhari committees. The programme plans for each Grama Niladhari to visit every house in their area and provide food and aid when necessary, while also relaying back data to higher-level committees.
The presidential adviser recognised the severity of malnutrition, noting that the World Food Programme and the Department of Census and Statistics state that up to 46% of families have reduced their daily food consumption. The Government’s goal, he said is to put a full stop to malnutrition and hunger as soon as possible through the social welfare system.
With regard to funding, Dr Batagoda said that the districts with the worst malnutrition including Jaffna, Monaragala, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Badulla will be prioritised. Moreover, the press release from the president’s office said US$200 million has been found to provide fertiliser for the Maha season.
A presentation by Dr Batagoda notes that the estate sector, Northern and Eastern Province spent the largest share of their income on food.
A special report jointly done by the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation notes that many families in the estate sector were pawning jeweller to buy food, and 52.1% of estate households bought food on credit.
Increasingly, Sri Lankan families were using methods that would result in long-term negative impacts, such as selling farm equipment, reducing essential healthcare expenses, and withdrawing children from school. Overall, the report noted that incomes were not keeping pace with food inflation.
The report recommends providing chemical fertilisers and domestically producing organic fertiliser, especially targeting smallholder farmers. It also advises about protecting poultry farmers by providing domestic corn farmers access to high-yield hybrid seeds. It recommends the government provide support to the 6.3 million people facing moderate or severe food insecurity, through the social services network, especially to families in the estate sector, with pregnant mothers, or other vulnerable people.
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