HELPLESS STATE AUTHORITIES FAIL TO CONTROL PADDY PRICES

A rice crisis has recently emerged in Sri Lanka, and the government has failed to provide a solution.

- By Prageeth Sampath Karunathilaka and Sudharika Gurusingherice

Rice is our staple food, and as a nation we consume it three times a day. Since ancient times, Sri Lankan kings were focussed on making the country self-sufficient in rice.

In the 1960s, 40% of the country's rice needs were met through local production, while the remaining 60% was imported. However, due to the relentless efforts of the Department of Agriculture in the late 1960s and the introduction of new high-yielding paddy varieties, Sri Lanka was able to meet its domestic rice demand and lay the foundation for self-sufficiency. The country is home to over 3,000 varieties of paddy and cultivates paddy types that are adapted to different seasons, climates and soil conditions.

With the Green Revolution, Sri Lankan scientists, in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, developed short-term, high-yield paddy varieties. These varieties responded well to chemical fertilizers and produced significantly higher yields. Notable among these are the Batalagoda, Ambalantota, Bombuwala, and Labuduwa varieties, which were specifically developed to suit various climatic zones and soil conditions. Among these, the Keeri Samba variety-known as BG 360is considered the most superior. Sri Lankan scientists also developed other Samba varieties popularly known as BG 362, Basmati and Red Basmati, and the credit for these achievements goes to the Department of Agriculture. Keeri Samba gained immense popularity among the public for its taste, softness and high quality. According K.B Gunaratne, former Director of Agriculture Peradeniya, and the resource person for this article, these varieties are unique to Sri Lanka and are not produced anywhere else in the world.