Sri Lanka has potential to be self-sufficient in paddy and fish. One look at the island’s geography and this is confirmed. But we do import rice and fish; even if such business activities can embarrass ‘us’ in the eyes of the global world.
Just a few days ago, there were media reports circulating that a temperature-controlled agriculture warehouse was inaugurated in Dambulla under the auspices of visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. On the same pages of local newspapers, we also read that government initiatives would be taken to move away from importing fish and make the island a ‘canned fish’ exporter. This is a positive move from a business point of view. That would also mean that Sri Lanka will have enough fish for domestic consumption. At present, Sri Lanka’s daily canned fish consumption is 300,000 kilos. And according to 2023 statistics, Sri Lanka had imported rupees 14 billion worth of canned fish.
The aroma generated from steaming boiled rice on our plates is complemented by a serving of scrumptiously cooked fish. The combination of fish and rice takes us back to the ‘golden era’ of Ceylon. We had plenty to eat. Greedy politicians and businessmen then saw a demigod in the form of J.R. Jayewardene emerge and open up the economy. The islanders’ eating and drinking lifestyle was altered very cunningly so that people didn’t feel being injected with a drug called laziness.
Sri Lankans got used to importing rather than manufacturing. From rice, to canned fish, and going on to countless varieties of teas and coffees and even chocolates and toffees, imported items flooded the local market, threatening local production. Sri Lankans were spoilt for choice under a J.R. Jayewardene regime.
It’s good that the present regime wants to reverse this trend of importing goods. The government must be applauded for taking the initiative to stop fish imports. Past regimes failed to see the connection between the fish that was served on to our plate of rice and those involved in the fishing industry.
There was a hardworking labour force associated with fishing and also communities that depended on this industry. As this fishing industry grew decade after decade, politics crept in. The high point of politics’ presence in the fishing industry could be the Tamil Nadu Government aiding and abetting encroachment of Indian trawlers into the Sri Lankan seas. If the Government of Sri Lanka is serious about making Sri Lanka a canned fish exporter, then it better sort out the issue where Indian trawlers have their way in our waters.
Coming back to agriculture and warehouses, Sri Lanka does need such facilities to increase production and offer jobs in this sector. Warehouses in agriculture aid the supply chain, act as storage and distribution hubs and ensure efficient transportation and market stability. But before that, the rice mafia must be dealt with. Millers in Sri Lanka are unjustly buying and stocking up paddy, causing negative market trends in the process. It’s high time that this regime took control of the paddy distribution and wrested control of this activity from the private sector. Otherwise, despite there being plenty of greenhouses, the people of this country would continue to see ‘blue’.
Where did we go wrong in this fish and rice story associated with Sri Lanka? Both these products are criminally expensive on the island.
Maybe artiste and lyricist Neil Warnakulasuriya has an answer. In his song ‘Oruwe negala’, Neil underscores both the good and challenging times of the fisherman and the farmer. The song harps on how much a spicy fish dish complements a well-cooked meal of rice. The lyrics in the song also remind us how farmers suffer during drought and fishermen experience difficulties during the monsoon season. That’s the time when the fishermen eat breadfruit in the absence of fish. But a selected few lines from the song (when translated into English), which pull at our heartstrings, read, ‘calm down friends, why should we fight. Let’s eat milk rice and start work at an auspicious time’.
There was a community bond between the fishermen and the farmers before greedy people who walk on the corridors of power changed the equation to their advantage. If the government restricts or stops fish imports and promotes greenhouse culture, they would empower the fishermen and farmers. If this change is made, it amounts to a bold political move being taken. But there is a win-win situation for both the farmers and the fishermen if these initiatives come through.
The history of the fisherman and the farmer is steeped in a richness that reminds us that we were once self-sufficient when it came to ‘food’. But unlike the workers in the wine yards in France and the fishermen in Norway, our labour put in the sea and the agricultural plots don’t give a return to workers to drive to work from home and back by car. These poor labourers allowed the middlemen and the politicians to play them out. Now there is hope for a change on the horizon. Let’s hope that the winds from India won’t trouble this island.