Sri Lanka to increase rice fields

Sri Lanka is likely to have a surplus of rice as paddy fields neglected owing to war in the north and east return to full production, government and private sector officials said. Eastern province governor Mohan Wijewickrema said previously neglected paddy fields in the region, which has about a quarter of the island's paddy land, are now under cultivation. About 83,000 acres of land in the east, abandoned for 20 years or more because of the ethnic war, is now back in production, while many irrigation tanks have been repaired. Free seeds had been given to farmers along with other support to displaced farmers to prepare land, Wijewickrema said. Paddy lands in the north are also being cultivated following the end of the ethnic conflict last May, which has resulted in an economic revival in the north-east region as well as the rest of the country. "With the expected production in the north I'm sure we can have a surplus," Wijewickrema said. Wijewickrema was speaking at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to announce the launch of an agricultural trade exhibition, 'Ag-Biz East', aimed at linking the region's farmer with business. The July 16-17 event to be held in the eastern port town of Trincomalee is organized by the National Agribusiness Council and the United States Agency for International Development with provincial government support. Unless there is a shift in food consumption patterns, ways to manage the excess production would have to be found, Wijewickrema said. "Our agricultural strategy in the long-run will be shifting from subsistence agriculture to commercially-oriented agriculture," he said. "High-value crops must replace traditionally low-value crops. It may be necessary to diversify rice cultivation within the national policy." Anura Ekanayake, chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, said the end of the war offers opportunities to exploit the north-east region's resources with modern technology. "There has been a sharp increase in agricultural production, not only rice but also vegetables and other crops," he said. "So much so, concern has been expressed that we might face a glut, not perhaps this year, but most certainly the next year."