Seminar on the dangers faced by the ‘Rice Culture of Asia’

A seminar on the dangers faced by the ‘Rice Culture of Asia’ with special focus on Sri Lanka is to be held in view of the 50^th Anniversary of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) of Philippines on 19^th of July, 2009 at the Mehaweli Center Auditorium from 10.00 am – 02.30 pm with the participation of peasantry and intellectuals.


The keynote address will be given by Mr. Danilo Ramos, the secretary General of the Peasant Movement of the Philippines (KMP) and the Asian Peasant Council (APC). He will be speaking on “Asian rice culture and the international rice research and technology”. Mr. Ramos is a leading campaigner on the call to abolish IRRI and its affairs in the Philippines and Asia. The Seminar is organized by the Vikalpani People’s Alliance and the Union for the Protection of the rice culture in Sri Lanka. 

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Posted in APC , Asia , Government , International Rice Research Institute , Philippines , Rice , Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka spends Rs. six billion for chemical fertilizer annually

Compost - image via Wikipedia

Sri Lanka imports Rs 6 billion worth of chemical fertilizer to the country annually and the Government plans to curtail chemical imports by 25 percent in the next three years, Deputy Director (Research) and Executive Coordinator Ministry of Agricultural Development and Agrarian Services, Prof. Hemantha Wijewardena said.

A three year pilot project on organic fertilizer production and use, funded by the Treasury has been begun because it had been proved that use of chemical fertilizer alone cannot increase the yield in any crop.

Research and development activities are carried out at the Regional Agricultural Research and Development Centre in a 80 acre land at Gonawila Makandura in the Kurunegala District.

Under this program we will be promoting the integrated plant nutrition system especially for commercial level agriculture and plantation industries. In this program they promote the use of both organic and chemical fertilizer for commercial crops," Prof. Hemantha Wijewardena said.
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"Sri Lanka's soil is low in fertility because dry countries like Sri Lanka it is found that organic contain is very low due to the high soil erosion and the mis-management of soil by farmers. Therefore, to increase the fertility level in the soil organic fertilizer is the solution," he said.

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Posted in Agriculture , Compost , Fertilizer , Government , Kurunegala District , Soil , Sri Lanka