Food security and mixed tales from ministers and bureaucrats - EDITORIAL

Our country is becoming or should we say has always been, notorious for the disconnected messages passed on to the public. Even if the subject concerns the question of people having to undergo food shortages in the near future, our politicians and bureaucrats twist and turn facts to hide the reality from the public.

For example at a meeting in Gannoruwa on 23 September, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera opined that the country had reached a self-sufficient status in paddy and rice. ‘There is enough rice and paddy stocks in the country till the next Maha season’s paddy harvest. Therefore, there is no need to import rice again’. 
However on the same day, the ministry secretary speaking to a different correspondent warns that sufficient stocks of rice will be available until January. 

So who is correct, what exactly are the two officials trying to say? and which of the reports is the public supposed to take seriously? On the one hand, we have the Minister telling us we will not have to import rice again. At a different forum the ministry secretary paints a completely different picture.
According to the secretary 62,141 acres of cultivated lands, mostly rice, were destroyed mainly due to the extended dry spell the country faced followed by  heavy rains, triggering concerns about food security in the event the upcoming Maha season fails.

The people of this country do not want ministers and bureaucrats telling us, this may happen or the opposite may happen. Their duty is to let the people know how prepared their departments and ministries are to face such a situation. Whether or not plans are in place to meet unexpected emergencies.

Our people went through a couple of very rough months of no goods being available during the height of the financial crisis. During that period, even if the ordinary people had cash in hand, shops and supermarkets did not have goods on their shelves. Even if we had limited stocks of food in our houses (which we did not), the country did not have stocks of cooking gas to cook them.

But that era has passed and much water has flowed under the bridge. 
Despite the follies of our politicians, this country was able to overcome the desperate situation we were in, thanks largely to our neighbour India extending an over $4 billion credit line which helped us tide over the most difficult period in our history. 

The West, the self-styled protectors of democracy made spurious allegations that the problems which led to the financial meltdown and bankruptcy were caused by a Chinese debt trap.
The reality is that the vast majority of our foreign debt is owed to the West. 
According to official statistics from Sri Lanka’s Department of External Resources, and reported in the ‘Sri Lanka Guardian’, as at the end of April 2021, the plurality of its foreign debt is owned by Western financial institutions and banks, which own nearly 47% of our foreign debt. 

The Asian Development Bank and World Bank owned 13% and 9% of our foreign debt, respectively. India owned 2%, while Japan owned 10% of the debt. Like Japan, China too, owned 10% of our debt.
The IMF provided us with an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) which helped restore the country’s credit worthiness. In a meeting with President Wickremesinghe in Washington two days ago, the IMF Chief has expressed satisfaction with government’s commitment to enhancing the economic landscape of the country.

Therefore. at this time when people are still unsure of what the future holds for them, we need ministers and bureaucrats letting us know exactly what plans are in place to face unanticipated events.  
Does the government have a plan on how it hopes to face a shortfall in paddy production - not just sensational public speculation?