Hayleys Agriculture renews commitment to sustainability

Hayleys Agriculture Commercial Manager Ajitha Y Perera, Hayleys Agriculture Strategic Business Development Head Samudra Rajapakshe, Hayleys Agriculture Managing Director Rizvi Zaheed, Carbon Consulting Company Sustainable Development and Strategy Manager Glenn Sonntag, Carbon Consulting Company CEO Sanith De. S. Wijeyeratne, Carbon Consulting Company Sustainability Solutions Associate Shermila Weragoda.

HJS Condiments, part of the Hayleys Group, recently renewed its CarbonConscious and WaterConscious certifications for a second consecutive year.

The certifications were awarded by The Carbon Consulting Company (CCC) following the conduct of independent audits.CarbonConscious(r) and WaterConscious(r) are part of the proprietary Conscious(r) range of certification programmes developed by CCC following international standards and protocols for the measurement, management and mitigation and enhancement of environmental sustainability focus areas such as Carbon, Water, Waste and Biodiversity.

As per the guarantee given by HJS Condiments to be a more sustainable business entity, they have signed up for a three-year programme to frequently measure, manage and mitigate their environmental footprint.

In the past year, the company has successfully set up a customised framework, which includes separate carbon and water management plans and an in-house ‘Sustainability Team’ who are responsible for keeping consumption and wastage amounts in check at reduced levels. Hayleys Agriculture Managing Director, Rizvi Zaheed said that whilst the company seeks to grow its business portfolio in food and agriculture, this would be done in a completely sustainable manner in keeping with global best practices. HJS Condiments Director and CEO, Ananda Pathirage, said “We are happy with our progress so far under this three-year programme. In the past year alone, through mitigation opportunities identified from the audits, we have managed to achieve a reduction in Scope 1 emissions of up to 10%, and we plan to reduce our carbon and water footprints to a greater extent in the coming years that would no doubt benefit the triple bottom line.”

CCC CEO, Sanith de S. Wijeyeratne said: “Climate change is the single biggest threat facing our planet. In Sri Lanka we are noticing the effects of global warming in the form of adverse weather, which is wreaking havoc on our agricultural industry.

In this regard, I’m happy to report that leading industry players like HJS Condiments are taking a stand about their duty towards environmental sustainability. Let us hope that other organisations will take this to heart and follow in the path of companies like HJS, as we all strive to reduce our environmental footprint on Earth.”

(Source : 27-05-2016:Daily News ( Sri Lanka) : http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=2016/05/27/business/82917)

Don’t destroy our biological supermarkets

(Source: 24 May 2016 Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka) : http://www.dailymirror.lk/109920/Don-t-destroy-our-biological-supermarkets-EDITORIAL#sthash.572Lkf4u.dpuf)

Kolonna garment factory distributes 800 mango plants to save environment

The Bernard Social Service Programme of the Bernard Boteju Garment Factory in Kolonna distributed 800 mango plants as a part of the campaign initiated by Moratuwa University Post Graduate Students’ Re-forest Sri Lanka Association to plant 84,000 trees.

Seychelles – Sri Lanka : Meeting maritime conservation goals

Water is an important resource, key to development and life. Fresh water is being depleted or contaminated by pollution daily. Pollution and sediment due to land activities degrade coastal zones and marine areas, especially corals and fish. We need to work together with clear guidelines and monitoring programmes to make sure we are doing our best to safeguard water resources. The conference tries to address these issues and find financing, especially for developing countries. It is the first time that this conference is organised in our region. The organising body – Global Environment Facility (GEF) – is financing huge projects around the world

Although relations between Seychelles and Sri Lanka go back about 27 years, there was a boost in diplomatic relations in the recent past with the opening of Sri Lankan and Seychelles embassies in 2014. Apart from cooperation in tourism, the most notable area of cooperation is in the maritime sector. Seychelles employs a large number of teachers from Sri Lanka apart from other professionals and has a sizeable Sri Lankan community working in Seychelles.

Seychelles’ economy mostly depends on eco-tourism and gives emphasis to environmental conservation and energy security. Seychelles Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Didlier Dogley spoke in detail with the Daily News about his government’s efforts to achieve energy conservation goals, while he was here to participate in the Inter-Water Resource Management Conference organised by the Global Environment Facility at Negombo, recently.

Following are extracts of the interview:

Seychelles Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Didlier Dogley

Q: What are the key areas under discussion at the conference?

A: Over 300 participants in the International Water Resource Management Conference, working on trans-boundary and marine water issues, share experiences at this conference to find ways for upscale financing and technology to tackle problems internationally.

Water is an important resource, key to development and life. Fresh water is being depleted or contaminated by pollution daily. Pollution and sediment due to land activities degrade coastal zones and marine areas, especially corals and fish. We need to work together with clear guidelines and monitoring programmes to make sure we are doing our best to safeguard water resources. The conference tries to address these issues and find financing, especially for developing countries. It is the first time that this conference is organised in our region. The organising body – Global Environment Facility (GEF) – is financing huge projects around the world.

One of the areas that we talked about is the high seas, especially between Seychelles and Mauritius. GEF will be providing assistance to resolve issues in this regard.

Q: Should we be worried at the rate at which climate change is affecting the environment?

A: We should be very worried. There is massive coral bleaching all over India and it can be seen in the South of Sri Lanka as well. Even Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is affected. If we lose our corals, we lose our marine life and this will erode coastal areas. Seychelles depends a lot, not only on tourism but also on fisheries. Our tourism depends on the quality of the coastal environment. So it is important to bring measures to protect our marine environment.

Q: Would mega projects such as land reclamation have detrimental impacts on marine life?

A: I think the process of how you do it needs to be very clear. Even in the Seychelles we had to reclaim land. But the way you do it should be a well thought-out process.

There needs to be an Environment Impact Assessment and people should be consulted.

There should also be an Economic Benefit Analysis to see if the project makes sense in the long term. But I don’t think reclamation is a totally bad thing but it needs to be thought-out properly and objectively.

Q: What are the Seychelles’ key energy conservation programmes?

A: We are very much for energy conservation and sustainable development. We are doing a study right now, after the government took a decision to go for 100 percent renewable energy. At the moment, we depend on fossil fuels and we import heavy oils for electricity.

That costs us about 10 percent of our GDP of our annual national budget. If you take that money and invest in solar and wind energy, we can become totally independent. Countries have signed the Paris Agreement to reduce their carbon footprint. We have obligations to meet. First you need to achieve energy security, which means you don’t depend on fuel from outside.

Q: How are the Seychelles and Sri Lanka cooperating on conserving the marine environment?

A: We’ve got excellent working relations with the government of Sri Lanka. The Colombo International Nautical Engineering College (CINEC) – the marine campus – has signed an agreement with our maritime school whereby our sea-men and women are trained to be able to manage and tap into our marine environment.

Our fisheries industry boats are being built in Sri Lanka. On the maritime side, there is a lot of cooperation between Sri Lanka and Seychelles.

Q: What are the best practices adopted by Seychelles for waste management and protecting bio-diversity?

A: We are concerned about bio-diversity. We have protected areas. It has a return for us since it can turn into eco-tourism magnets. We have an extensive protected area network and are investing in eco-tourism. We understand that when the environment is healthy, it can better withstand impacts such as climate change. We have been investing a lot on sewer management, the sea and rivers meet the required standards. We are working hard to recycle as much as possible. We have zero-waste targets. Waste is also collected and exported to India and China where they are recycled as we can’t recycle in Seychelles as our volume is too small. We are also working on recycling 50 percent of our organic waste to turn it into bio-gas to produce energy.

Q: There was talk in the recent past about Sri Lankan government plans to close its High Commission in Seychelles, established during the past government. How would this have impacted on relations between the two countries?

A: I can certainly speak on behalf of our side. We have an embassy in Colombo established about three years ago. We saw the potential of working together with Sri Lanka. In the past, we always turned to Sri Lanka. When we had a shortage of teachers, we asked Sri Lanka to help us out. Today, there are plenty of Sri Lankans working in Seychelles in various sectors such as education, engineering, tourism etc.

We have a new vision of a ‘Blue Economy’ to tap into sustainability in marine sectors. We believe there is a lot we can learn from Sri Lanka in the marine sector. This is why the government established an embassy here. We don’t have a lot of embassies in the region. We have one in India, one in China and one in Colombo. So the decision to open one here speaks volumes.

We want to align ourselves with Sri Lanka in some of the sectors. We believe in building cooperation between our two countries. This is why we opened an embassy and will keep it open as long as we can. In the past, developing countries always looked towards developed countries. But some of the solutions were not there. We can cooperate in the South between each other, because certain countries have made progress in one direction, while others in another direction depending on policies and interests. So it makes more sense for South-South cooperation. For us, Sri Lanka presents us with certain opportunities which we would like to pursue.

Q: How is Seychelles cooperating with Sri Lanka in Sri Lankan government investigations into fraud and corruption, especially with regard to offshore bank accounts in Seychelles?

A: Seychelles is already cooperating with the Sri Lankan government through the Finance Investigation Unit in Seychelles with regard to investigation into any fraud and corruption. Seychelles has signed the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines for offshore banking.

We keep offshore dealings transparent. All information on transactions can be inspected and checked by authorised bodies.

For each account that is opened in Seychelles, owners have to be declared, unlike earlier. Every year, all jurisdictions are reviewed. If you look up the internet, you will see that Seychelles is one of the countries that is clean. If in doubt, authorised bodies can check transactions after a formal request.

The Seychelles government has been working with the Panama jurisdiction and there is definitely interest in the offshore banking system. We’ve been following all the international rules, making sure that our systems are clean. We have made sure that we are not allowing the wrong people into our country. So if there is any investigation, Seychelles will cooperate as long as it is reciprocal on both sides.

Source:19 May 2016 Daily News (Sri Lanka)

Let us protect our biodiversity

On Sunday May 22, the international community marks an important day but unfortunately not many people are aware of its deep significance. The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 as the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.  In December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted May 22 as IDB, to mark the adoption of the text of the Convention held on May 22, 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference.

This year’s theme is, ‘Mainstreaming Biodiversity; Sustaining People and their Livelihoods.’ For those who do not know or do not care, Biological diversity or biodiversity is the term given to the variety of life on Earth. It is the variety within and among all species of plants, animals and micro-organisms and the ecosystems within which they live and interact.  Biodiversity comprises the millions of different species that live on our planet and the genetic differences within the species. It also refers to the multitude of different ecosystems in which species form unique communities, interacting with one another and the air, water and soil.

Biodiversity is explored at three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity.   According to science journals, Human alteration of the global environment has triggered the sixth major extinction event in the history of life and caused widespread changes in the global distribution of organisms. These changes in biodiversity alter ecosystem processes and change the resilience of ecosystems to environmental change. This has profound consequences for services that humans derive from ecosystems. The large ecological and societal consequences of changing biodiversity should be minimized to preserve options for future solutions to global environmental problems.

Humans have extensively altered the global environment, changing global biogeochemical cycles, transforming land and enhancing the mobility of biota. Fossil-fuel combustion and deforestation have increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) by 30% in the past three centuries — with more than half of this increase occurring in the past 50 years.  We have more than doubled the concentration of methane and increased concentrations of other gases that contribute to climate warming. In the next century these greenhouse gases are likely to cause the most rapid climate change that the Earth has experienced since the end of the last glaciation 18,000 years ago and perhaps a much longer time.  Industrial fixation of nitrogen for fertilizer and other human activities has more than doubled the rates of terrestrial fixation of gaseous nitrogen into biologically available forms. Run off of nutrients from agricultural and urban systems has increased several-fold in the developed river basins of the Earth, causing major ecological changes in estuaries and coastal zones.

The UN in a message to mark this event says Biodiversity is the foundation for life and for the essential services provided by ecosystems. It therefore underpins peoples’ livelihoods and sustainable development in all areas of activity, including economic sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism, among others. By halting biodiversity loss, we are investing in people, their lives and their well-being.

The thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 13) to be held in Cancun, Mexico from December 4 to 17 this year will focus on the mainstreaming of biodiversity within and across sectors. This is closely linked to this year’s IDB theme.

According to the latest figures, Plant diversity and endemism in Sri Lanka are quite high.  Of 3,210 flowering plants belonging to 1,052 genera, 916 species and 18 genera are endemic.[3] All but one of Sri Lanka’s more than 55 dipterocarp (Sinhalese “Hora”) are found nowhere else in the world. Sri Lanka’s amphibian diversity is only becoming known now. Sri Lanka may be home to as many as 140 species of amphibians. More than 50 known freshwater crabs are confined to Sri Lanka.

Though most Sri Lankans are not aware of this, the neo-colonial economic power blocks are quite aware. Experts and companies from those countries have been making subtle attempts to exploit Sri Lanka’s rare biodiversity. The national government needs to closely monitor this area and ensure that the full benefits of Sri Lanka’s biodiversity are obtained by our people for the common good of the country – (Source 19 May 2016- Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka): http://www.dailymirror.lk/109718/Let-us-protect-our-biodiversity#sthash.sfnjiZ6n.dpuf)

WFO Calls for Farmer-Centred Sustainable Development

Among the local delegates was Mary Nyirenda, a farmer from Livingstone, where the assembly was held.

“I have a 35-hectare farm but only use five hectares due to water stress. With one borehole, I am only able to irrigate limited fields. I gave up on rainfall in the 2013/14 season when I lost about five hectares of maize to drought,” Nyirenda told IPS.

Privileged to be part of the 2016 WFO General Assembly, Nyirenda hoped to learn innovative ways to improve productivity and market access for her garden and poultry produce. But did the conference meet her expectations?

(Mary Nyirenda in her garden at her farm in Livingstone, Zambia. Credit: Friday Phiri/IPS)

“Yes it has, especially on market access. I’ve learnt that working as groups gives us a strong voice and bargaining power. I’ve been struggling on my own but now I understand that two is better than one, and so my task from here is to strengthen our cooperative which is still disjointed in terms of producer partnerships,” said Nyirenda, emphasising the power of farmer organisations – for which WFO exists.

Convened under the theme ‘Partnerships for Growth’, the clarion call by delegates throughout the conference was to change the narrative that, while they are at the centre of a multi-billion-dollar food sector, responsible for feeding the whole world, farmers are the world’s poorest people.

And WFO President Evelyn Nguleka says the situation has to change. “It is true that farmers in almost all corners of the world constitute the majority poor, but the question is why?” asked Nguleka while responding to journalists during the closing WFO General Assembly Press briefing.

She said the meeting established that poor organisation and lack of information were the major reasons for farmers’ lack of progress, noting, “If farmers remain in isolation, they will continue to be poor.”

“It is for this reason that we developed a legal tool on contract farming, which will be mostly useful for smallholders whose knowledge on legal matters is low, and are easily taken advantage of,” said David Velde, president of the National Farmers Union in the U.S. and a board member of WFO.

Velde told IPS that various tools would be required to help smallholders be well equipped to fully benefit from their work, especially in a world with an unstable climate, a sub-theme that found space in all discussions at the conference due to its multifaceted nature.

With technology transfer being one of the key elements of the sustainable development agenda as enshrined in the Paris climate deal, delegates established that both innovation and capacity building for farmers to improve productivity cannot be discussed in a vacuum.

“Agriculture is indeed a global sector that needs serious attention. The fact that a world farmers’ organization exists is a sign that food production, food security, climate change are global issues that cannot be looked at in isolation. Farmers need information on best methods and technologies on how best to enhance productivity in a climate conscious manner,” said Zambian President Edgar Lungu in his address to the WFO General Assembly.

In the world’s quest to feed the hungry 793 million people by 2030, and and the projected population growth expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050, more than half in Africa, WFO is alive to the huge task that its members have, which can only be fulfilled through increased productivity.

“WFO is in recognition that the world has two conflicting issues on face value—to feed the world and mitigate climate change. Both require huge resources but we believe that it is possible to tackle both, through increased productivity using latest technology,” said William Rolleston, president of the Federated Farmers of New Zealand.

Rolleston, who is also Vice President of WFO, told IPS that while WFO’s work does not involve funding farmers, it helps its members to innovate and forge partnerships for growth.

It has long been recognised globally that climate change, if not tackled, could be a barrier to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). And this presented, perhaps, the hardest of choices that world leaders had to make—tackling climate change, with huge implications on the world’s productive capacity, which has over the years largely relied on a carbon intensive economy.

By approving the SDGs and the historic climate agreement last year, the world’s socio-economic agenda is set for a complete paradigm shift. However, WFO President Evelyn Nguleka wants farmers to remain the focus of the world’s policies.

“Whatever changes the world decides moving forward, it should not be at the expense of farmers to survive and be profitable,” she stressed.

For Nyirenda, access to markets holds the key to farmers’ productive capacity, especially women, who, according to FAO, constitute half of the global agricultural labour force, while in Africa, the figure is even higher—80 percent.

“My interactions with international organisations such as IFAD and others who are interested in women empowerment was a serious-eye opener moving forward,” she said.

Source: Inter Press Service–(May 2016)

Climate change, floods and landslides

The shifting and unpredictable weather pattern is the most talked about topic today, especially in Sri Lanka. The Meteorology Department, National Building Research Organisation and several other associated divisions engage in constructive discourse regarding this concern. Extreme heat, heavy rain, landslides and lightning are among the main issues faced by the people. Who or what is the cause for all these changes? It is a well-known fact that the humans itself are the cause for all these transformations. However, corrective measures to address this crisis have being taken by most of the developed countries which had realized the gravity of the problem. They have understood that humans are the cause for Al Neno, depletion of Ozone.

Though pink clouds and smog were witnessed in most of the capital cities in the west during the past, they are clearly absent now. However, many non-western countries including India, China and Sri   Lanka now face a severe challenge due to the constant climatic changes.

Pollution in Colombo was to be measured and informed to the public. This no longer happens. Maybe the equipment too is not functioning. When it rains at night, a clear blue sky is seen the following morning as all polluted clouds get washed away. Recently, while I was walking along a passageway, it started to rain suddenly. As usual, everyone ran for shelter. While I too briskly marched to find some cover, I saw a vendor, who was wrapping up the fruits he had brought to sell, with a polythene sheet. Though it was a normal scenario, I thought of approaching him to inquire as to why he covered the fruits that would otherwise be exposed to the rain. My thinking was that the dust collected in the outer layers of the fruits would wash away with rain water, and hence, the fruit would later be edible.

When I questioned the vendor about his action, he then said, “The fruit would get spoiled if the acid rain touches them.”

The point is that a vendor knows the aftermath of pollution which many of us are unaware of. It is high time that legislators are made to comprehend the ground situation by walking among the public instead of moving about in luxury vehicles with tinted shutters. The western world, however, took corrective measures to combat these concerns. They took steps towards sustainable development by planting trees, controlling the emission of carbon dioxide/monoxide emitted from vehicles and minimizing the use of ozone depleting devices, as well as introducing strict laws.

In the interim, vehicle manufacturers were compelled to move into fuel efficient and electric vehicles, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuel resulting a drop in fuel consumption and prices.

China and India have gone to the extent of banning the use of vehicles on certain days to reduce pollution.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is yet to introduce clean air public transport, but continues to import diesel busses and trucks. Educating the public is most the important thing in the transference. In USA, most of the parks and other recreation areas have stopped permitting private vehicles to enter as a measure towards creating a green environment. In this country, belching vehicles and busses are allowed even to Yala and other animal habitats.

What have we done in Sri Lanka? The so called Paradise! Introducing a mechanism to control vehicle emission was a step in the right direction. 90% of the vehicles on the street are clear. The balance 10% is still not clean due to corruption in the system, and the non-dedication of the public. Let us be happy that there are honest citizens in the country with respect to pollution control of exhaust. Some time back, expensive machinery was imported to randomly check moving vehicles. What has happened and where has the equipment gone now?

Prominent personalities initiated several tree planting campaigns. But what has happened and where have these trees been grown? The forest cover is reducing daily. Only trees planted by President Premadasa are seen in some parts of the country. Since independence, the country is merely a ‘Bottle of Soda’ when the cap is opened.

Fortunately, the UDA/RDA started to plant trees along the newly developed roads, but the CMC has failed to act as a curator to maintain them. They are not been fertilized to maintain growth as some leaves are yellow or the trees are stunted. Yahapalanaya is required here. Destruction of forests is taking place to a great extent. Legislators and citizens have to only pass Timber Saw Mills to witness the majestic trees that have been felled. It is easy to notice the difference from the trunk of the downed trees if they are from Cultivated Forests or from Natural Forests.

For the law to be implemented and enforced effectively, the legislator, executive and judiciary have to collaborate. Sri Lanka Police, Department of Forrest Conservation and other related authorities have to only visit the Saw Mills and take action against them instead of checking vehicles transporting timber logs which leads to corruption.

There is technology available to determine the life span of a tree. Of course the Judicial System of the country has to be accelerated as action taken by the authorities will drag on for years and years due to the lethargy and inefficiency of the Judiciary, resulting in the timber being lost to the country by natural causes due to rotting and no production of whatever the timber was supposed to produce.

We talk of rainfall and landslides. If the Meteorology Department takes data, the average rainfall for the country has not varied much other than for a minimal +/- year to year. Floods and landslides have augmented. What is the reason? Rainfall on land is not retained as there is less shrubs, trees and roots to reduce the flow of water downstream resulting in more water flowing from high elevation to low elevation prior to ground absorption, and finally, on to rivers thereby raising the level of water in rivers.

Landslides too are caused by rain water finding its way down at a faster rate dropping ground water absorption due to the absence of trees, resulting in the surrounding earth being washed away. During the days Ceylon was administered by the British, no deforestation was allowed over a height of 4,000 Feet if I remember correct, although they grew tea at high elevation. Sri   Lanka forgot all these environment friendly laws of the British and continued on a destructive path influenced by politicians, mostly for political and personal benefit. 30% forest cover since independence has now reduced to 19%. The result of the destruction of forest cover on mountains, wild life, fauna and flora, life and limb of innocent citizens of the country who work in estates and lives in villages at high elevation is affected. It is the general public that has to bear the cost of rebuilding and relocating these innocent people, but lives lost cannot be replaced.

If the President, Prime Minister, Legislators and those responsible take a tour by Helicopter or a Low Flying Air Craft over the hill country or use GPS technology, they will be able to note the bare mountain tops especially in Nuwara Eliya, Diyatalawa. There are many Golf Courses that have popped up at high elevation on state land. Fox Hill was a thick jungle a few years ago, it is now a race track with no trees in sight in the surrounding. Knuckles range has many areas cleared, Sinharaja has many vacant arias which was thick jungle a few years ago. All this destruction is for reasons known only by those in power. Sad but true! –

(Source :13 May 2016 -Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka) http://www.dailymirror.lk/109414/Climate-change-floods-and-landslides#sthash.j7rfBNoP.dpuf)

HDFC Bank conducts Entrepreneurship Development Programme for SMES

Sri Lanka to declare fish habitats as protected zones

Sri Lanka intends to better protect fish habitats around the island by declaring them as protected zones in order to safeguard the resources for the future, said Udaya Senevirathne, Secretary to the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment.

Government policy is to ensure the sustainability of marine resources for economic development and conservation, he told the 8th GEF Biennial International Waters Conference that began in Sri Lanka on Monday.

“We hope to protect fishing areas around the island to practice sustainable fisheries, and declare some fish habitats that contain fisheries resources for the future as protected zones.”

Senevirathne said Sri Lanka is party to the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem Project.

“The Bay of Bengal is an important source of food and income for Sri Lanka.”

(Source: Date 11-05-2016  Economy Next http://www.economynext.com/Sri_Lanka _to_declare_fish_habitats_as_protected_zones-3-4945-9.html)

As the climate shifts, tradition threatens Sri Lanka’s rice harvest

Thomson Reuters Foundation: In mid-April, at the same time of year as their families have done for generations, Sri Lanka’s paddy farmers started cultivating their rice fields.

But this year, that may be too late.
President Maithripala Sirisena has warned Sri Lanka’ farmers that they may run out of water before their crops are ready to harvest. Devotion to tradition – in particular, planting spring crops after a traditional New Year’s holiday in mid-April – could now prove devastating, he said.
But many farmers are so far not convinced that old schedules need to change to match new climate patterns – a problem many countries around the world face as they try to adjust to changing weather patterns.
Ranjith Sumanadasa, 50, a paddy farmer from Rajanganaya region in Sri Lanka’s north-central province, has been cultivating his rice for close to four decades based on traditional timetables.
“I learned from my father that after the March harvest we will celebrate Avurudu, and then prepare the fields around a week or two later, then the water comes,” he said. “There is no other way I know of.”
In early April, at a public rally in his native Polonnaruwa District, Sirisena explained how he had tried to convince Sri Lanka’s rice farmers to start cultivating a few weeks earlier than normal, to take advantage of recent rains that had filled some of the country’s reservoirs almost to capacity.

Sticking to the traditional timetable, he said, would mean losing much of that needed water to evaporation.
“I instructed the Water Management Committee to release water for paddy farmers as soon as possible,” Sirisena said on 2 April. “But the paddy farmers remain unmoved. They want to start the cultivation after the (traditional) New Year.”
Rains during the last weeks of March filled some reservoirs in the north and central parts of the country. As authorities released water from hydropower reservoirs to generate electricity, they also sent some to the smaller irrigation reservoirs to water rice fields, in the hopes the farmers would take advantage and use it right away.

But farmers instead waited over two weeks before using it, Sirisena said. With the island experiencing temperatures between 2 degrees Celsius and 4 degrees Celsius above average, according to the Meteorological Department, some of that water was lost.
“Because of the hot temperatures we are losing hundreds of cubic meters of water daily due to evaporation,” the president told the gathering in Polonnaruwa District. “You have to reconsider getting into the fields before the end of the month,” he pleaded.

Harvests evaporating?
When Sirisena spoke to the country’s paddy farmers in early April, the main irrigation tanks in the north central and central provinces were at around 80% capacity. But by the third week of April – when farmers wanted to start watering their crops – the levels had dropped by 20%, officials said.
Water management officials estimate that close to 300 million litres of water were evaporating daily across Sri Lanka. That could mean trouble for the paddy farms, which cover over 10% of the country’s land area.
“You will have to bear responsibility if there is a water shortage mid-season,” the president told farmers.

To make matters worse, Sir Lanka has experienced below-average rains across most of the island through April, according to the Met Department. May is also predicted to be unseasonably dry.
In 2014, a similar spell of dry weather hit Sri Lanka’s rice farmers, resulting in a harvest of 3.3 million tons, 17% less than the year before. Although Sri Lanka’s farmers are aware of the shift in the country’s climate patterns – and the potentially dire consequences – many refuse to change the way they farm.
Sri Lanka’s paddy farmers have long followed a cultivation schedule based on two monsoon seasons: Maha, between November and March, and Yala, between April and October. Based on that timetable, paddy farmers begin to prepare their fields for cultivation only after Avurudu, the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year that falls between 13 and 14 April.

According to Namal Karunaratne, national organiser of the All Ceylon Peasants’ Federation, the country’s monsoons used to bring around 4.5 million metric tons of rain each year.
But the seasonal rains have become unreliable, with one study by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology suggesting rainfall over the Indian subcontinent has decreased between 20 and 30% over the last century.
“Our farmers are yet to get used to these changes. They are still used to the government providing water on time,” Karunaratne said. “They are not used to water management.”

(Source 11-05-2016 Daily FT -Sri Lanka : http://www.ft.lk/article/540683/As-the-climate-shifts–tradition-threatens-Sri-Lanka-s-rice-harvest#sthash.Gblltch0.dpuf)