AGRICULTURE SECTOR
WHERE NEW IDEAS CROP UP!
Janaka Perera urges Sri Lanka to think and act beyond agrarian tradition
Legend claims that during the reign of King Parakramabahu the Great, the land of Lanka – as our country was then known – enjoyed a reputation in the region as the ‘granary of the East.’ Subsequently, when a series of European colonialists invaded South Asia, cinnamon was one of the island’s first exports.
Since no sustainable method of refrigeration had been invented at the time, the Portuguese, Dutch and British found that cinnamon was the best way to prevent food spoilage during the intense heat of our tropical summers.
Today, the time has come once again to move beyond our traditional exports of tea, rubber and coconut, and focus on processed spices such as cinnamon, as well as high value export crops that include vanilla and coffee.
The island of Sri Lanka offers fertile ground for investments in agriculture and food processing, thanks to an abundance of rich natural resources, a favourable climate for cultivation and a skilled workforce. The sector also presents extensive opportunities in value added food production, agro processing, organic farming and export oriented agribusiness.
With the growing global demand for sustainable and traceable food sources, our agriculture sector is primed for innovation and expansion, supported by governmental incentives and strategic infrastructure.
Departmental and community consultation should focus on demarcating the potential water portion and aquaculture cluster formation as protecting wetlands plays a significant role in this regard.
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (also called the Ramsar Convention) defines wetlands as areas of marsh, fen, peat land or water – whether natural or temporary – with water that is static, flowing, fresh, brackish or salt including areas of marine water, the depth of which at low tide doesn’t exceed six metres.
Wetlands, both natural and man-made, were at the centre of Sri Lanka’s ancient hydraulic civilisation, which thrived in the island for over a thousand years, and formed the hub of its cultural, economic and social evolution.
Due to the system of land use adopted in ancient times, catchment areas and other important wetlands in the hill country were preserved under forest cover, while the dry zone lowlands were irrigated using water from thousands of rain fed tanks that dotted this region.
This system of land use served to conserve the biodiversity of natural wetlands. There’s also evidence that the conservation of biodiversity in man-made tanks was given consideration through royal decrees as early as the 12th century AD.
Many of the wetland sites in Sri Lanka are now being recognised as important, both regionally and globally, and the Bundala National Park has been recognised internationally as a Ramsar Convention site.
World Wetlands Day is celebrated each year on 2 February to raise awareness of wetlands, their importance and the threats they face. The theme for 2025, titled Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future, demonstrated that it is crucial to understand what value wetlands hold for people and wildlife alike, and what’s being done to protect them.
The area of investments involves securing a lease from the Land Commissioner General’s Department (LCGD), obtaining approvals for project implementation and designing the project, establishing culture facilities and commencing aquaculture operations as a post-harvest marketing plan.
Dairy and livestock farming is important to cut down import dependency. Large-scale dairy farming projects have to be designed to reduce import dependency and improve domestic supply chains.
Beyond agriculture, Sri Lanka promotes structured private capital injections across several key economic pillars. Some plantation companies have added value by way of vertical integration through related services such as agrarian solutions including agricultural machinery, seeds, fertiliser and agro-inputs for an end-to-end farming solution.
The agriculture sector remains largely untapped; and therefore. the potential for expansion of the company’s agrarian assets remains immense.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation in Sri Lanka has implemented a range of projects to support the growth of the agriculture sector, address challenges related to food security and promote sustainable farming practices.
These initiatives aim to enhance agricultural productivity, improve climate resilience and boost the livelihoods of farmers across the island.
For all of this, technology is vital for maximising crop productivity, conserving dwindling natural resources and building resilience against climate change.
By integrating data driven tools, automation and biotechnology, modern farming transforms traditional labour intensive practices into efficient, sustainable systems to reduce excess water, fertiliser and chemical waste.
