Gota’s shift to organic farming led to 50% drop in rice yield during 2021/22 Maha season: HARTI

25 May 2023 06:21 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 18 Bookmark

CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA Follow

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The sudden shift to organic farming in 2021 by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resulted in a drop of more than 50 percent in paddy yield in the 2021/2022 Maha season, according to a research.

The then government enacted the Import and Export Regulations No. 7 of 2021 which banned the import of chemical fertilizers and other agrochemicals. The government later revoked the gazette notification. The Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI) conducted a survey from August to September 2022, comparing the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Maha seasons to identify the effects and consequences of the fertilizer policy changes on rice production, household economy and food security.

The study has found that only three percent of paddy farmers were in support of a complete shift to organic farming, while 46 percent believed only chemical inputs are suitable.

“Yield reduction of paddy in the 2021/22 Maha season was more than half when compared to the previous season, a much higher yield loss than expected. Therefore, moving towards complete organic cultivation was not desirable or sustainable. The yield penalties and unmatched price premiums of farm inputs can be multiple threats to food security. There is a need for more environmentally and economically sustainable fertilizer policies but extreme solutions such as a complete ban or restrictive licensing might not be feasible in the short run,” the research paper says.

The move also resulted in five percent reduction in paddy extent cultivated. Besides, 53 percent average yield loss of paddy per acre was reported during the same Maha season.

This study compares the two main paddy cultivating seasons (2020/21 and 2021/22), before and after the import ban, among 625 paddy farmers from 11 districts representing major, Mahaweli, minor and rain-fed irrigation systems. (Kelum Bandara)

Comments - 18

Gb Thursday, 25 May 2023 06:32 AM

How much did he gain off commisions for that?

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Sajit Thursday, 25 May 2023 06:34 AM

Like Ali Sabry who got caught in airport, he is not answerable to it. It’s his buddy friend who suggested it.

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Rukmal Seneviratne Thursday, 25 May 2023 07:16 AM

The foolhardy decision of this moron plunged the country into a hell hole from which it can never recover.

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Asoka Goonawardena Thursday, 25 May 2023 07:58 AM

Square peg in a Round Hole , This is the result, Don't repeat ever again

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joshua Thursday, 25 May 2023 08:37 AM

Special mention has to be made of Gota's stooge Mahindanda who was eqully blind as a bat going around talking big of the initiative. These two will pay for their sins. This is what happens when the voters are foolish

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Fact Thursday, 25 May 2023 09:19 AM

This was one of the great move by Goto but the timing and implementation wasn’t right .chemical pesticide are not only harmful for human health but also for the soil , over a period of time soil will lose its natural quality to yield good crop .kindly failure and cancer is caused mainly by this .That’s is why south India ,specially Tamil nadu and and some European countries are moving out of chemicals to organic farming .current president and government should encourage organic farming and gradually must find ways to reduce dependency on chemicals. Its good for healthy future

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Amaraweera Thursday, 25 May 2023 09:37 AM

The damage was done and nobody held accountable and answerable. The country suffered but culprits escape punishment.

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Fact Thursday, 25 May 2023 09:53 AM

This was one of the great move by Goto but the timing and implementation wasn’t right ,it should have been a gradual process .chemical pesticide are not only harmful for human health but also for the soil , over a period of time soil will lose its natural quality to yield good crop .kindly failure and cancer is caused mainly by this .That’s is why south India ,specially Tamil nadu and and some European countries are moving out of chemicals to organic farming .current president and government should encourage organic farming and gradually must find ways to reduce dependency on chemicals. Its good for healthy future. we should not worry about short term profits and benifits but the long term effects of it

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Lumbini Thursday, 25 May 2023 10:22 AM

Where is the Padeniya and gang?

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German Thursday, 25 May 2023 10:39 AM

Fact: I agree with you. And also mr. Rajapaksa is not the only one who is responsible. What about his advisors, the agriculture engineers, the minister of agriculture?

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Fact Thursday, 25 May 2023 11:42 AM

Absolutely , this shouldn’t have been an overnight decision but well thought ,planed and researched one by all those who are responsible .unfortunately the so called professional who advise are either outdated or don’t have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the subject .This is the case in every sector ,when it comes to exploiting nature we must be more careful and see how we can integrate traditional methods with modern tech for a sustainable future

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Fact Thursday, 25 May 2023 12:01 PM

@German ,Absolutely , this shouldn’t have been an overnight decision but well thought ,planed and researched one by all those who are responsible.and the one approve also shouldnt do it blindly .unfortunately the so called professional who advise are either outdated or don’t have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the subject .This is the case in every sector ,when it comes to exploiting nature we must be more careful and see how we can integrate traditional methods with modern tech for a sustainable future

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Rural Farmer Thursday, 25 May 2023 01:48 PM

Legal actions must be taken against former President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Dr. Padeniys, Rev. Athureliye Rathana, and Mr.Mahindananda Aluthgamage for destroying Sri Lanka's Agriculture.

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Arnol Thursday, 25 May 2023 02:09 PM

In proper countries people like this are given harsh punishment for abuse of power.

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Idiots posing as national heroes Friday, 26 May 2023 08:03 AM

This is the first priority to 1. punish the guilty and 2. to warn others that they will not be allowed to mess around with the nation's wealth. If we had done this, idiots will come forward as heroes in front of the public. But they are still in position is very sad.

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Sith Shanmugalingam Thursday, 25 May 2023 03:20 PM

Slankan Thee are expert neutral advisors but GR chose only those agreeable to his thinking. At the end the leader must be held accountable to the results. You can gradually convert to organic fertiliser by willing farmers but not 100% at one go as in regimentary order.

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Tissa Fernando Thursday, 25 May 2023 06:32 PM

Organic farming is the way forward. Temporary drop in crops will have to expected but in the long run, organic farming will win. Those who are against organic farming are the lobbyists for chemical fertiliser mafia. In USA, the oil lobbyists and Air lines block high speed electric trains. The oil lobbyists block the electric car development. So here in Sri Lanka, chemical fertiliser mafia is blocking the organic fertiliser initiative. That is another side to the story line.

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sacre blieu Friday, 26 May 2023 09:22 AM

Which food is better?Organic grown and natural or chemical grown artificial food. The intention was good but the application was made a disaster so that the fraudsters would gain. Most of the newscast shows one side of the story and some over dramatize the issue or even arrange the facts to suit the broadcasters. Even the players are not genuine in most cases.

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