While hydroponic farms, also known as vertical farms,” swap land use for electricity use— one project is trying to take the best of both worlds.
Using only natural light for photosynthesis and heat, Shockingly Fresh’s greenhouse in Offenham, England, can produce four-times the yield compared with regular farming, while using much less energy than other vertical farms.
This is because other vertical farms are closed systems—relying on artificial LED light and indoor heating to keep crops cozy.
It is ultimately better for the environment. I can’t say it’s carbon-neutral but it isn’t as carbon-hungry as an LED vertical farm would be,” the aptly-named Nick Green, development director of Shockingly Fresh, told The Guardian.
While other producers might say that Shockingly Fresh’s use of natural light means they can’t keep up the 24-7 production typical of farms that can leave the lights on all night, the company stresses that they match the consumption patterns of humans and use far less energy in the process.
Production isn’t completely linear as it would be in a fully-lit vertical farm, but people don’t eat as much lettuce in winter as they do in summer,” he explained.
Shockingly Fresh
Offenham was completed in 2021, and is already producing lettuce and bok choy for sale at supermarkets, with strawberries planned for winter when the days become shorter. Even though Green reckons they can produce 2 million heads of lettuce per year, the location is just one-tenth of the size of future projects.
Offenham covers 3 acres. The Longford Vertical Farm, currently in the planning phase, will cover 32. Situated in between Glasgow and Edinburgh, with good access to major roads, Longford will include rainwater catching systems to aid with cutting energy costs, and native landscaping around the former mining area.
Hydroponics are allowing cities to have access to fresh produce much nearer to their high-rises, for example when a 51-story farmscraper” is cloaked in hydroponic farms that grow food for those who live within, in Shenzhen, China.
They’re also appearing on rooftops, like in Montreal, which will provide 2% of all food consumed in the Canadian metropolis.
As soon as Sri Lanka rejected the consignment of organic fertiliser from China, India took immediate steps to come to Sri Lanka’s rescue. In response, the Government of India sent the first consignment of 3.1 million litres of nano nitrogen fertilizer from Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO) to be sent to the Eastern Province for the cultivation of maize and paddy. However, shocking revelations by several opposition Ministers have raised concerns about the financial transactions done with regards to this consignment. Recently JVP Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath said in Parliament that Sri Lanka has allegedly deposited USD 1.275 million to a private account under the name ‘United Farmers’ Trust Limited’. However, in response Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage claimed that it was the Indian High Commission that facilitated the fertiliser imports and that IFFCO has appointed the ‘United Farmers’ Trust Limited’ as the local representative. But even if the two governments have sealed the deal, local farmers are yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel as no proper directions have been given on the associated risks of these products or how these should be used in farmlands.
An impossible task?
But academics attached to Agriculture and Technology Faculties in state universities pointed out that this fertiliser is a urea-based formulation where urea is coated with polymers to make nano-size particles. As such it is a synthetic chemical fertiliser and not an organic fertiliser. Issuing a statement under the Federation of University Teachers’ Association letterhead the academics point out that it is a rather new product that has very recently received approval for large scale production from India’s Ministry of Agriculture. The statement further reads that the Ministry claims that three applications of 2.5 litres of this fertiliser at a time is adequate to provide required nutrients for the cultivation of one hectare of paddy crop. But the academics underscored that in general, nearly 105 kg of nitrogen is taken up by the paddy crop yielding 4-5 tons of grains per hectare. As such, nano-nitrogen fertiliser should be applied at a rate of 1250 litres per hectare if it is the only source of nitrogen added to the crop. This is an impossible task to be realised within a cropping season. On their official website, IFFCO has indicated that this nano-nitrogen fertiliser should be applied only as a top dressing along with a reduced rate of urea, while phosphorus and potassium sources are to be supplied at full rate as per the recommendations,” the statement read. It further sheds light on the lack of SLS standards in Sri Lanka for nano fertilisers. These standards should be developed to assure the quality of the product, free of biurate-like toxic substances. Furthermore, in the eco-friendly/green agriculture concept, much attention is given to improve and regenerate soil fertility. However, the foliar application of fertilisers will not contribute to enhance soil fertility and will result in lower yields.
Prof. Athula Perera
Pix by Kushan Pathiraja
“At present, the government is in the process of bringing down nano fertiliser. When we take nanoparticles they are so small and you can do wonders with it. But every technology comes with a risk”
We need all information about these nano fertilisers : Prof. Athula Perera
The importation of live material to Sri Lanka although is restricted by the law has now become the only option with the government’s move to transform into an organic nation. Expressing his concerns on the usage of nano fertiliser, Prof. Athula Perera of Peradeniya University said that the government needs to provide all the information about these fertiliser products. Prof. Perera has been involved in formulating the National Biosafety Framework when he was appointed as the National Coordinator for the project back in 2003. At present he is a consultant in Biosafety to the National Science Foundation. Excerpts :
Q Tell us about biosafety practices and Sri Lanka’s stand on this subject.
The first commercial production of genetically modified plants came into the scene back in the 1990s. Even until now, nobody is absolutely certain that there are risks in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). So when you’re uncertain you apply what is called the precautionary principle. Hence the UN Convention on Biological Diversity appointed a special committee to look into this and this committee met in Cartagena in Colombia and came up with the Cartagena Protocol for Biosafety of GMOs. In the case of GMOs we call it biosafety and not biological safety which refers to ecosystems etc. but the principles are the same. In 2003 the Environment Ministry received a grant to set up a framework for biosafety. More than 170 countries signed this framework. For GMOs we must have a policy and an administrative system. Most importantly a risk assessment procedure. If it is certain you don’t need to do it. But because of this uncertainty do a risk assessment.
Q What happened to Sri Lanka’s Biosafety Act?
From 2003-2006 we also started drafting Biosafety Act but even in 2021 this still hasn’t reached the parliament. It still has some grey areas. So how can this country progress? When there’s uncertainty it’s the right of any country to conduct a risk assessment. We have listed out how to do it.
Q Is there a risk in bringing down organic or nano fertiliser?
At present, the government is in the process of bringing down nano fertiliser. When we take nanoparticles they are so small and you can do wonders with it. But every technology comes with a risk. I don’t say we don’t want it or to send it back. I’m only giving the scientific risks involved. If there are risks then they need to be assessed and after assessing these should be managed. As I see it this can be done but not in this way. In terms of the organic fertiliser shipment, the country of export says that they have done an examination. But how did they do it? There are large containers of compost. It’s a biological material. There are reactions happening inside. How did they take samples? Whether it is from the top or bottom? Therefore you need a statistician and ask how a sample could be obtained. Sampling itself is a huge task. When they are put into packets the contents of one packet is different to the other.
Q What is the correct approach?
There are accepted risks of nanomaterials to the environment and human health. The research on nanomaterials is still at the laboratory level. Therefore we are uncertain. What many people including scientists forget is that this is a unique country and it is very small. Then any risk is so many folds more effective and dangerous than any other larger nation. There are three components to a risk assessment – the hazard that causes the damage, exposure to the hazard and the consequences. In the case of nano fertiliser, the hazard that could cause damage is the nanoparticle. Then we must know everything about this particle. We must know what it is made up of; whether it is gold, silver or copper. We need to know the size and shape of this particle. Those who made this know it and therefore it’s not difficult to get this information. Which laboratory and when it was made should also be made public. We need a dossier that gives all this information.
When it comes to exposure we need to know how this fertiliser will be utilised. If you’re using a hand spray you can educate the farmer on how it could be done by analysing wind patterns. If you use a helicopter the exposure is bigger. Our farmlands are small and it will be exposed to larger communities. These contents could mix with water. Then there are children, the elderly, pregnant women and animals we need to consider. How do you spray it and who will spray it is another concern.
Q Who should be doing this risk assessment?
We have experts including microbiologists, soil scientists who have the expertise. The Agriculture Director-General should appoint a committee and that committee will have to do this risk assessment. They have to take this hazard and consider where it will be sprayed, who will spray it, during which season, what are the quantities, how it would be washed etc. They have to assess all these and submit a report. Communication is very important. Farmers and communities need to be informed. The media has to inform people. Otherwise, it will be extremely fearful and we wouldn’t even know what would happen. Then the exposure to humans should be assessed by medical experts. Our farmland ecosystems are different to those from India. We must never forget that a hazard can move across a country since it is very small. For example, look at the difficulty in controlling the Covid virus.
The wind, rain, humans and even birds can take these particles. Nobody knows much about the substance and therefore it could be misused unknowingly. This committee should also be clear about the birds and pollinators. There’s a method of calculating the risk and you could say if the risk is high or medium or low. Then they can advise on how it could be managed. The committee cannot give a recommendation but they can give a report. Then only the Director-General can act upon it.
If this Act was there – it is only for GMOs. The Food Act prevents any GM food from coming into the country. Whether such foods are now in the market should be tested. Is there a technology whereby we could test the water to see if there are nanoparticles? If so where is it? A little child has a lung infection and how do we know if it was caused by this? The risk lies in the fact that we are releasing it to the environment. The same procedure can be applied. It doesn’t take long to do a risk assessment. The experts sit around and calculate the risks. We want to use every technology in the country but we should use them to our benefit. This is why we have to be extremely careful.
Q Is the existing legislation sufficient enough?
The biosafety Act is only for GM foods. If you try to bring a new law it’ll take time. So we can take an existing law like the Plant Protection Act and include this risk assessment in that. That is what they did to the Food Act in terms of GM Foods. Finally what we want to say is that we want organic food in this country. But there’s a way of doing it. Policymakers should listen to these experts. If you can’t listen to them, listen to their heart, their sentiments and emotions. They will assist in this task. The entire approach was too hasty.
“Technology Faculties in state universities pointed out that this fertiliser is a urea-based formulation where urea is coated with polymers to make nano-size particles. As such it is a synthetic chemical fertiliser and not an organic fertiliser”
“Furthermore, in the eco-friendly/green agriculture concept, much attention is given to improve and regenerate soil fertility. However, the foliar application of fertilisers will not contribute to enhance soil fertility and will result in lower yields”
“From 2003-2006 we also started drafting Biosafety Act but even in 2021 this still hasn’t reached the parliament. It still has some grey areas. So how can this country progress? When there’s uncertainty it’s the right of any country to conduct a risk assessment. We have listed out how to do it”
No directions given to farmers
The government is yet to educate the farmer communities on how they could safely utilise nano-fertilisers. We met with academics from state universities and they claim that only 4% of these nano-fertilisers contain nitrogen and that the rest is water,” said Namal Karunaratne, National Organiser of the All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation. On the other hand, this isn’t organic. It has chemicals in it. When spraying these fertilisers farmers need to wear something similar to a personal protection kit. Farmers don’t know the risk that they are exposed to when spraying these fertilisers because nanoparticles are so tiny.”
“On the other hand, this isn’t organic. It has chemicals in it. When spraying these fertilisers farmers need to wear something similar to a personal protection kit. Farmers don’t know the risk that they are exposed to when spraying these fertilisers because nanoparticles are so tiny”
He further said that since the fertiliser is saturated farmers have to spray it every four hours. Does that mean that they’ll have to keep wearing the fertiliser tanks? On the other hand, they cannot increase the concentration in order to get a higher yield because it will affect the plant in that case. The government says that 2.5 litres of nano-nitrogen is sufficient for one hectare. But university academics point out that 1250 litres are required for one hectare. Generally, you need 50 kilograms of nitrogen for one hectare of paddy. This is 20 kilograms for one acre. But the government hasn’t succeeded in providing farmers with fertilisers or ensuring that they are up to the required standards.”
A risk assessment was done in India : Dr. De Silva
Initially, 3.1 million litres of nano-Nitrogen fertiliser was imported. Another one million bottles will be imported as the second stock. I have to submit my recommendations on how these fertilisers could be used by the Agrarian Department,” opined Agriculture Department Director-General Dr. Ajantha De Silva.
“We too have started experiments on contact poisoning and it will take around two weeks to get all these results. These fertilisers should be sprayed two weeks after the crops have been planted”
When asked if a risk assessment was done on these products, Dr. De Silva said that a risk assessment was done in India. We too have started experiments on contact poisoning and it will take around two weeks to get all these results. These fertilisers should be sprayed two weeks after the crops have been planted.” He further said that Sri Lanka has the technology to do further tests on these products.
The payment for the organic fertilizer consignment shipped by Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co. Ltd. was halted due to an interim injunction issued by the court, the People’s Bank in Sri Lanka said today, in response to the move by the Embassy of China in Colombo to blacklist the state-owned financial institution.
Action pertaining to the payments will accordingly be taken based on the future court decisions, the People’s Bank stated further.
The response came after the People’s Bank was blacklisted by the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy.
The move was attributed to the failure of People’s Bank to make the payment in compliance with the Letter of Credit and the contracts.
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy stressed the People’s Bank of Sri Lanka has recently witnessed vicious event of Letter of Credit default, causing huge losses to the Chinese enterprises in international trade with Sri Lanka.
The Office solemnly reminds all Chinese enterprises to strengthen risk control and avoid accepting L/C issued by People’s Bank of Sri Lanka in international trade with Sri Lanka, the embassy said further.
As per the terms of the contracts, the payment for the controversial organic fertilizer shipment was slated to be made through a Letter of Credit established via the People’s Bank.
However, in September, the National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS), which tested the fertilizer samples sent by the Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd., revealed the detection of the microorganism called ‘Erwinia’. Several days later, Sri Lanka decided to suspend the importation of organic fertilizer from Seawin Biotech.
Later, the Ceylon Fertilizer Company (CFC) has obtained two interim orders from the Colombo Commercial High Court against the Seawin Biotech, its local agent and the state-run People’s Bank, preventing the payment to the Chinese firm on Letter of Credit.
The CFC first obtained a court order on October 26 against the Chinese firm in question, preventing the People’s Bank from making any payment under a Letter of Credit opened in favour of the Chinese company.
In the latest development in the row over a consignment of organic fertilizer containing harmful bacteria shipped from China, the People’s Bank in Sri Lanka has been blacklisted by the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Colombo.
The move is attributed to the failure of People’s Bank to make the payment in compliance with the Letter of Credit and the contracts.
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy stressed the People’s Bank of Sri Lanka has recently witnessed vicious event of Letter of Credit default, causing huge losses to the Chinese enterprises in international trade with Sri Lanka.
The Office solemnly reminds all Chinese enterprises to strengthen risk control and avoid accepting L/C issued by People’s Bank of Sri Lanka in international trade with Sri Lanka, the embassy said further.
As per the terms of the contracts, the payment for the controversial organic fertilizer shipment was slated to be made through a Letter of Credit established via the People’s Bank.
However, in September, the National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS), which tested the fertilizer samples sent by the Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd., revealed the detection of the microorganism called ‘Erwinia’.
Several days later, Sri Lanka decided to suspend the importation of organic fertilizer from Seawin Biotech.
The Chinese firm retaliated, saying that the NPQS took only three days to draw a suspicious conclusion although it takes more than 6 days to identify Erwinia as per the ISPM27 rule in IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention). After the supplier raised doubts, NPQ Sri Lanka updated the report on October 11th and had used seven days to test, but it still did not indicate the test standards and methods, the company alleged.
The unscientific detection method and conclusion of NPQ in Sri Lanka” are not in compliance with international animal and plant quarantine convention, Seawin Biotech claimed further.
The Chinese firm urged that Swiss SGS group, a top third-party testing organization, should re-test whether the samples contain Erwinia.
But Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage later insisted that the ship carrying the fertilizer consignment containing harmful bacteria will not be allowed into Sri Lanka. He also noted that the samples from this fertilizer shipment will not be re-tested, nor will any payment be made to the Chinese firm in question.
Against this backdrop, the Ceylon Fertilizer Company (CFC) obtained two interim orders from the Colombo Commercial High Court against the Seawin Biotech, its local agent and the state-run People’s Bank, preventing the payment to the Chinese firm on Letter of Credit.
The CFC first obtained a court order on October 26 against the Chinese firm in question, preventing the People’s Bank from making any payment under a Letter of Credit opened in favour of the Chinese company.
Meanwhile, the People’s Bank, in response to the Chinese Embassy’s move, said the payment for the organic fertilizer consignment shipped by Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co. Ltd. was halted due to an interim injunction issued by the court.
Action pertaining to the payments will accordingly be taken based on the future court decisions, the People’s Bank stated further.
The Director General of Health Services has confirmed another 10 coronavirus related deaths for October 28, increasing the country’s death toll due to the virus to 13,706.
According to the figures released by the Govt. Information Department, the deaths reported today include 07 males and 03 females.
Five of the deceased are between the ages 30-59 and the remaining five are aged 60 and above.
The daily count of COVID-19 cases confirmed in Sri Lanka moved to 556 today (October 29) as 141 more people were tested positive for the virus, says the Epidemiology Unit.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the country to 539,416.
As many as 512,165 recoveries and 13,706 deaths have been confirmed in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of the pandemic.
More than 13,500 active cases in total are currently under medical care, official figures showed.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) had organized a protest in Kandy today (29) under the leadership of the Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on several issues, including the rising cost of living and the fertilizer crisis.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Leader also visited the Asgiri Theras of Malwatta Chapter today and received blessings.
Sri Lanka as a Nation today is at crossroads in evaluating what went wrong in its seventy four year old post independent time period. It has happened due to various social, economic, cultural and political changes introduced in an inappropriate manner, such as the language policy of the late 50’s and the closed economy of the early 70’s. Being a functional democracy with a voting population that commands a so called 90+ per cent literacy rate it has been proven multiple times in the past most decisions made through franchise were largely attributed to being emotional rather than rational.
Of all such flaws in the past a major mistake was made by the Sri Lankan voters at the Presidential election held on the 16 November, 2019. For the mature voter it was a reasonably clear cut, rationalistic, intelligent decision at the Election, when taking into consideration the two leading candidates. On the contrary the Government at that time put forward Sajith Premadasa – a comparatively young, dynamic, foresighted candidate educated at the London School of Economics possessing over two decades of political experience sans a single law suit against him, armed with a vision that blended ‘social empowerment’ with an ‘export oriented economy’. In an advanced democracy such as UK, Australia, USA, Canada or New Zealand the majority choice would have been Sajith without a shadow of a doubt.
But in a South Asian Nation like Sri Lanka of late emotional factors and materialism have become the deciding factors of a national poll. Gotabaya Rajapaksa became victorious for his over reliance on such factors, while Sajith was spelling out solutions to confronting practical issues of the people. Today a majority of the Sri Lankans do accept that it was a mistake. It is based on a personal qualitative research study done by the author of this article during three months around mid-2021 in two different provinces. Of late most Sri Lankans have begun to witness the leadership characteristics of Sajith, which they do not see in the current President or for that matter in most other leaders. What are those leadership traits? They are as follows:
1. Leading from the front – Example:
A large number of former leaders in the United National Party (UNP) were either reluctant or did not have a strategy or a plan to challenge the autocratic rule of former PM Ranil Wickramasinghe within the party. But Sajith took the lead and did walk out of the grand old party with a majority of its popular politicians, partners and supporters to the dismay of the incumbent party leader. The subsequent General Election delivered a major knockout punchon Ranil by reducing his once largest Sri Lankan political party to a three wheeler mushroom organisation.
2. Being foresighted – Examples:
(a) During the Presidential Election of 2019, Sajith promised to provide sanitary pads to the poorest of the poor ladies in Sri Lanka to eliminate or curb the incidence of diseases such as womb cancer that has had a huge cost impact on the national budget. It was taken as a joke at that time by his opponents, but was an economic measure targeting to save revenue for the state. Today its importance is stressed and put into practice by the leaders of Ireland, New Zealand and Holland. Most others did not see the value of the proposition, since they did not see far like Sajith.
(b) Another case in point was when Sajith as the leader of the opposition became the first sitting member of parliament to inform the house in late January, 2020 before the pandemic broke out in Sri Lanka that the COVID-19 virus was fast approaching the nation and a lockdown of the country should be imposed. He also stressed that personal protective equipment, modern drugs and COVID vaccines authorised by WHO should be introduced to the Sri Lankan people as early as possible free of charge.
The Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime made fun of all such suggestions believing in myth promoting concoctions, throwing holy water pots into rivers etc without relying on scientific evidence. Leading Sri Lankan medical personnel as well as some Government ministers later acknowledged the suggestions made by Sajith were valid and had they been implemented at the correct time COVID-19 would have had a significantly lesser impact on our motherland and its economy.
3. A great listener – Example:
I’ve had meetings, discussions and interactions with Sajith Premadasa in the past. A trait that I always noticed in him is that he’s a great listener. To be a great leader, and to be successful, one must be a good listener”. Definitely, Sajith belongs to that great leader category. Our current incumbent President on the other hand is not a good listener. It was shown on national TV, when he began screaming at officials of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka threatening them to present economic tools to resurrect the economy.
4. Target oriented – Example:
Whenever Sajith undertakes or devolves authority to complete a project or a process it will be based on a target oriented timeline. It was clearly visible when he was the Minister of Housing, Construction and Cultural affairs in constructing and delivering re-awakened villages to poor people and Buddhist daham schools (dahampasal) to underprivileged temples.
5. Honesty and integrity – Example:
Do not need much explanation. Sajith does not have any court cases filed against him in theSri Lankan judicial system with respect to corruption or malpractices. He’s a class act interms of honesty and integrity as opposed to the current incumbent President, who’s had afair share of allegations and court cases against him linked with dishonesty.
6. Team Player – Examples:
(a) Most people in Sri Lanka have noticed Sajith participating in protests or discussions with other members of his Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) party as a team, unlike President Gotabaya who tries to do things on his own making others submissive as shown in a past television news clip, where he orders a public sector employee to consider what he utters from his mouth as a Government circular.
(b) Another example of Sajith being a team player is illustrated by the fact that he devolves power to other politicians in his party to conduct and complete certain tasks. Two such examples are young capable MP’s Buddhika Pathirana and Mayantha Dissanayake, who were sidelined by Ranil in the UNP have been brought into the forefront of the SJB by Sajith.
7. Opposition Leader of a different kind – Example:
In the post independent history of Sri Lanka, Sajith Premadasa is the only opposition leader who has served the people to redress their problems and issues without state funding to provide necessary equipment to hospitals, medical treatment to the needy, water purification apparatus to appropriate village establishments etc in addition to being involved in environmental protection projects such as ‘Project Elephant’ and ‘Project Leopard’. Today for the first time even the Gotabaya Rajapaksa regime has not been able to match such endeavours even with state funds at their disposal.
In management it has been stated that to be an effective leader an individual should be selfaware and prioritise personnel development, focus on developing others, encourage strategic thinking, innovation and action, be ethical and civic-minded and practice effective cross-cultural communication. By carefully analyzing the traits of Sajith Premadasa given above, it is crystal clear they have contributed in making him an effective leader. Therefore now it’s aptly clear why Sri Lanka’s longest serving Finance Minister who was responsible for opening up our economy Ronnie De Mel mentioned publicly a few months back that Sajith is the only hope for our motherland”.
Pakistan High Commissioner to Bangladesh
Imran Ahmed Siddiqui’s recent meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina was comprehensively covered in the media. It only shows the strategic
significance of the meeting. The meeting has messages for the region, including
some ominous signs for India, as it has the potential to change the entire
regional geopolitical game.
Bangladesh is indeed a trusted friend of
India in the South Asian region. Bangladesh-India relations can be described as
“all-weather friendship”, just like the ties between Pakistan and
China.
According to a report in the leading
Pakistani media outlet Dawn, Sheikh Hasina invited Pakistan Prime Minister
Imran Khan to visit Bangladesh. Pakistani media outlets reported that Sheikh
Hasina also expressed her interest in visiting Pakistan. This could be a
significant development in terms of regional geopolitics, provided the news is
correct.
Recent incidents in Bangladesh surrounding
the Hindu festival of Durga Puja have indeed created some distance between New
Delhi and Dhaka. This followed issues like India’s National Register of
Citizens and the Citizenship Amendment Act, which had already caused tension
between Bangladesh and India. Delay in the resolution of long-pending issues
like the signing of the Teesta water-sharing deal despite Dhaka’s persistent
demands, killing of civilians across the Bangladesh border, as also the onion
crisis have sowed some distrust between the two longtime friends.
Sheikh Hasina’s counter to India’s angry
diplomatic note on the recent killings of Bangladesh’s Hindus and vandalisation
of their property and socio-cultural symbol has not been particularly palatable
to New Delhi.
It is a fact that Bangladesh is going to
emerge as a self-sufficient economic power in the region. As such, India needs
to behave in a more friendly manner.
Overtures from Islamabad
During his meeting with Sheikh Hasina at
the Prime Minister’s official residence Ganobhaban, the newly appointed
Pakistan High Commissioner handed over to her a message from Imran Khan.
After the meeting, the Bangladesh premier’s
Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, in his briefing to reporters, said Sheikh Hasina
told the envoy that South Asian countries should be freed from the curse of
hunger and illiteracy and needed to work for the welfare of the people of the
region. The Prime Minister further said that the foreign policy of Bangladesh
formulated by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is
friendship with all, not enmity with anyone”.
During the meeting, High Commissioner Imran
Ahmed Siddiqui said Pakistan is interested in developing its relations with
Bangladesh. He also gifted a photo album, painting, and video footage of Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman’s visit to Pakistan as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to attend
the 1974 OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) Summit. Hasina thanked the
High Commissioner for handing over the historical memorabilia. She also
commended the publication of a calligraphy book in Bengali by Pakistan on the
occasion of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence.
Ambassador at Large Mohammad Ziauddin and
the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Ahmed Kaikaus were present during the
interaction. While the detailed deliberations of the meeting were not made
public, multiple issues are likely to have cropped up at the discussion table.
Alarm bells for India?
This should ring the alarm bell for India.
China and Pakistan are always scouring for opportunities by utilizing any kind
of strain in Bangladesh-India ties, and would obviously try to exploit the
present regional political scenario.
In this context, one assumes that India
would strive to keep its warm relations with Bangladesh at its level best.
India should keep its promises made earlier to Bangladesh. India shouldn’t
point an accusing finger at Bangladesh for the recent incidents.
Indian politicians should do well to stay
away from making remarks or come up with statements that may disturb the
Bangladesh-India friendly ties. Such comments can only create a gulf between
Bangladesh and India, which is undesirable. It is well established that the
Bangladesh government is going all out to take concrete actions against
culprits who were involved in recent communal violence in Bangladesh. India and
the world know that Bangladesh is a secular country.
PM Hasina is a person of liberal views with
a secular outlook. India should stop spreading baseless propaganda against
Bangladesh. Indian media agencies and religious organizations should desist
from circulating any events and issues which can potentially cause damage to
the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India.
New Delhi should take effective steps to
stop border killings across the Bangladesh-India border. The long-pending
Teesta issue must be resolved. Interference in the internal affairs of
Bangladesh by some Indian political leaders must be stopped.
India should behave as an ‘all-weather ally
just as China does towards Pakistan. Otherwise, India might lose its most
trustworthy and reliable friend in the world. India and Bangladesh had, have,
and will have – hopefully – eternal strategic ties. Bangladesh needs India and
vice versa. Indian leaders should take serious note of the recent meeting of
the Pakistan envoy with the Bangladesh PM. A single negative incident between India
and Bangladesh has the potential of changing the regional geopolitical
scenario.
The article was first appeared in South
Asia Monitor on October 28, 2021.
Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka Bangkok, Thailand
Third session of the Committee on Macroeconomic
Policy, Poverty Reduction and Financing for Development of the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) was virtually
convened in Bangkok, from 20 to 22 October 2021, and
discussed a range of economic policies and innovative financing strategies to
overcome multifaceted challenges, in the post COVID-19 context.
Leading the Sri Lanka
delegation, Ambassador
of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Thailand and Permanent Representative to the
UNESCAP, C.A. Chaminda I. Colonne conveyed Sri Lanka’s appreciation to the
Committee on Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Reduction and Financing for
Development of the UNESCAP for its work to overcome the challenges of COVID-19
pandemic and expressed Sri Lanka’s support for the establishment of a
Consultative Group on financing strategies for the Sustainable Development
Goals, along with China, Japan, Pakistan, France and Finland. Governor of the
Central Bank of Sri Lanka Ajith Nivard Cabraal will be coordinating the said
Group.
As a key
note speaker for the special side event ‘Regional Conversation on Financing for
Development: Financing sustainable development and addressing debt risks in the
aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic – potential of innovative sustainable
financing strategies’ Governor Cabraal stated that downgrading countries in a
time of global pandemic is creating chaos and that itself causing
vulnerabilities and add further vulnerabilities to countries by downgrading and
providing low access to finance”. Governor Cabraal also highlighted the importance
of providing Special Drawing Rights by the IMF at the very first stage of
pandemic and elaborated on Sri Lanka’s new approaches towards managing debt
risk by reducing market debts, looking for G2G new additional financing, using
under-utilized assets etc.
Delivering
the Country Statement, Additional Director General of the Department of
External Resources, Sampath Manthrinayake of the Ministry of Finance of Sri
Lanka stated that ‘Sri Lanka can work to secure fiscal and debt sustainability
and drive resilient growth and jobs, particularly by focusing on blue and green
economy and smart agriculture, allowing productive local companies to integrate
into global value chains, and attaining higher value addition in manufacturing,
agribusinesses, and service sectors’.
Director General of Sustainable
Development Council of Sri Lanka, Chamindry Saparamadu, Director of Department
of External Resources, Samantha Bandara, First Secretary and Deputy Permanent
Representative of the Mission, Saritha Ranatunga were the other members of Sri
Lanka delegation.
Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka Bangkok, Thailand
The government decided, all of a sudden, to implement organic farming in place of chemical agriculture which Sri Lankan farmers are accustomed to for nearly 60 years. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is pledge-bound to introduce eco-friendly agriculture in steps over a decade according to his manifesto ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour’. Despite the policy envisaged in the manifesto, the government took a hasty move to ban chemical farming ahead of four months for the Maha season (main cultivation season). The decision triggered a crisis of epic proportion in the farming sector with rice growers agitating in the main agricultural districts. Today, in some areas, the fields which should normally look lush with rice paddy remain abandoned since farmers fear cultivation of them due to uncertainty over lack of fertilizer.
The government airlifted a stock of Nano liquid fertilizer from India to be sprayed on crop plants in the absence of Urea chemicals as a source of nitrogen for plant growth. But, things are yet to settle in the farming community. It is all too obvious that farmers ‘unrest is fueled by the opposition – Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Janatha Vimukthi Peranuna (JVP) which seek to seize the political momentum for their electoral ends. That is a natural phenomenon in a multi-party democracy. In such a setup, be it whatever party, the opposition always tries to outdo the governing party. As such, there is no point in laying blame on the opposition over farmers’ agitation. Tension is common. The opposition can only fuel and take it to new heights, maybe, through media stunts.
The government only paved the way for it by initiation of action overnight for the introduction of organic farming, a process that requires meticulous planning and long term for implementation otherwise. It involves education of farmers, training of them in the use of organic fertilizer. It is a transformation to be achieved in the span of at least three to five years. Secretary to the Agriculture Ministry Prof. Udith K. Jayasinghe himself admitted that the cancellation of the import of chemical agro inputs was an ill-advised move.
In addition to tension among farmers against the government, a commercial dispute is likely to crop up with China in the rush for the import of organic fertilizer.
Subsequent to the adoption of green agriculture policy by the government in May, this year, the government selected Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Company Ltd., after a bidding process.
Sri Lanka plant quarantine authorities which tested samples provided by the company detected Erwinia, a harmful bacteria. Detection made headlines in mainstream and social media leading to the call for termination of the deal with the Chinese company. However, the Chinese company has now disputed findings by the Sri Lankan plant quarantine authorities saying that testing done here was not up to the mark in terms of international standards.
The company, through the Chinese embassy in Colombo, issued a statement on Tuesday (October 26) asking for reference of samples to be tested by an independent third party.
The statement says, It was officially listed as a qualified supplier for Tender No. IFB No. SMOF/OFPR/2021/1 on August 11, to supply 99,000 tons of organic fertilizer to Sri Lanka. Course of this event after awarded the tender, Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group signed contracts with the buyers through a local biding agent in Sri Lanka, and strictly fulfilled the contract. It overcame many difficulties, such as busy international and domestic orders, soaring global raw material prices, tight shipping schedules and berthing slot, high sea freight cost and so on, and gave priority to ensure the production and delivery of the tender contract for Sri Lanka. After the buyer issued Letter of Credit (L/C), Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group shipped the organic fertilizer which comply with the quality requirements on September 23 according to the time schedule required by L/C (before September 25). While the goods were on the way by sea, CFC informed that the import permit has not been obtained” and the goods will be rejected”. However, according to international trade practices, it is the buyer’s obligation to obtain the import permit. The failure to obtain the import permit is caused by the buyer’s mistakes and negative inaction. On September 23, Sri Lanka NPQ received the seller’s product samples. On September 27, the seller received an oral notice from the buyer and was informed that Sri Lanka Plant Quarantine Center (NPQ) issued a conclusion of suspecting that the samples contain Erwinia”, but did not provide the test report, test method and standards.
According to ISPM27 rule in IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention), it will take more than six days to identify Erwinia, but NPQ only takes three days to draw a suspicious” conclusion. After the supplier raised doubts, NPQ Sri Lanka updated the report on October 11. Seven days was used to test, but it still did not indicate the test standards and methods. Testing temperature of Erwinia shown in the report is 37, and carrot slices at 37 are used for pathogenicity test. According to the relevant agreement of IPPC, the testing temperature of Erwinia is 25, and healthy plants should be used for pathogenicity test. At least 13~14 days should be used to confirm Erwinia through pathogenicity. The unscientific detection method and conclusion of NPQ in Sri Lanka obviously do not comply with international animal and plant quarantine convention,”
In the same statement, the company insisted that the product samples passed the test of Schutter Group, a third-party international testing organization designated by the buyer (SLSI) and passed the export plant sustainable development of green agriculture.
Nevertheless, the Sri Lankan side vows for accuracy of their test reports. The issue has also been politicized in Sri Lanka with the parties in the opposition – SJB and JVP protesting against the delivery of shipment into the country. Now the Chinese side has called for reference of the matter to another third party testing organization- Swiss SGS group) in this instance.
According to the tone and tenor of the language used in this press release, the Chinese side has taken a hard and fast position. The embassy’s involvement shows how serious they are in this matter. The Foreign Ministries of the two countries are not involved in this dispute. Sri Lankan embassy is kept informed of what is happening, but it is not involved in the problem, according to informed sources. According to all indications, it will lead in the direction of a commercial dispute with the Chinese company unless Sri Lanka agrees to certification of fertilizer samples by a third party.
Again, the problem emerged because of the lack of professionalism in dealing with international transactions.
Farmers in various parts of the country protested today as well, claiming that they are unable to cultivate due to the lack of fertilizer.
During a protest in Hambantota the protesters handed over a letter to the Hambantota District Secretary requesting fertilizer.
Representatives of 41 farmers’ organizations in the Bakamuna area have continued their fast for the fifth day of the hunger strike. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa also arrived at the scene in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Governor of the North Central Province Mahipala Herath inspected an organic fertilizer factory in Habarawatta, Anuradhapura which is successfully operating by distributing organic fertilizer to farmers in the Anuradhapura District.
Many crops including banana, papaya, long beans and chillies have been successfully cultivated in 4 acres of land using organic fertilizer.
State Minister Duminda Dissanayake stated that steps have been taken to release 5,000 metric tons of urea previously imported to Sri Lanka for maize farmers in the Anuradhapura District.
Steps have been taken to provide a stock of urea fertilizer to the Anuradhapura district against the backdrop of the government initiating the promotion of organic farming in the country by suspending the import of chemical fertilizers.
Meanwhile, the Eravur Fertilizer Depot in the Batticaloa District has received stocks of fertilizer required for paddy cultivation during the Maha season using organic fertilizer.
The district has stored 7,275 liters of liquid fertilizer, 612 metric tons of potassium chloride, and 3,300 liters of nano nitrogen liquid fertilizer for the fertilizer requirement, and they will be released to the farms from next Monday.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage addressing a media briefing held at the Presidential Media Center today through online technology stated that some ministries are following a silent policy in encouraging the cultivation of organic fertilizer instead of chemical fertilizer.
Accordingly, the Minister made an allegation against the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment.
The Minister also stated that attention has been paid to import a stock of pesticides and fungicides to combat a pest menace.
State Minister Shashindra Rajapaksa was also present at the media briefing and the two Ministers answered questions raised by journalists.
Ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s”) has today downgraded the Government of Sri Lanka’s long-term foreign currency issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings to Caa2 from Caa1 under review for downgrade. The outlook is stable.
This concludes the review for downgrade initiated on 19 July 2021.
The decision to downgrade the ratings is driven by Moody’s assessment that the absence of comprehensive financing to meet the government’s forthcoming significant maturities, in the context of very low foreign exchange reserves, raises default risks.”
In turn, this assessment reflects governance weaknesses in the ability of the country’s institutions to take measures that decisively mitigate significant and urgent risks to the balance of payments, the statement said.
External liquidity risks remain heightened. A large financing envelope that Moody’s considers to be secure remains elusive and the sovereign continues to rely on piecemeal funding such as swap lines and bilateral loans, although prospects for non-debt generating inflows have improved somewhat since Moody’s placed Sri Lanka’s rating under review for downgrade.”
Persistently wide fiscal deficits due to the government’s very narrow revenue base compound this challenge by keeping gross borrowing needs high and removing fiscal flexibility, the ratings agency stated.
The statement further said:
The stable outlook reflects Moody’s view that the pressures that Sri Lanka’s government faces are consistent with a Caa2 rating level. Downside risks to foreign exchange reserves adequacy remain without comprehensive financing and narrow funding options. Should foreign exchange inflows disappoint, default risk would rise further. However, non-debt generating inflows particularly from tourism and foreign direct investment (FDI) may accelerate beyond Moody’s current expectations, which, coupled with the track record of the authorities to put together continued, albeit partial, financing, may support the government’s commitment and ability to repay its debt for some time.”
Sri Lanka’s local and foreign currency country ceilings have been lowered to B2 and Caa2 from B1 and Caa1, respectively. The three-notch gap between the local currency ceiling and the sovereign rating balances relatively predictable institutions and government actions against the very low foreign exchange reserves adequacy that raises macroeconomic risks, as well as the challenging domestic political environment that weighs on policymaking. The three-notch gap between the foreign currency ceiling and local currency ceiling takes into consideration the high level of external indebtedness and the risk of transfer and convertibility restrictions being imposed given low foreign exchange reserves adequacy, with some capital flow management measures already imposed.”
Father Cyril Gamini, who had been summoned by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) today to record a statement in connection with the complaint filed by the Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), has requested for one week’s time to provide the statement.
This was informed by three Catholics priests who appeared before the CID on behalf of Father Cyril Gamini today (28).
Speaking to reports afterwards, Fr. Shanthi Kumar Welivita stated that they handed over a letter from Father Cyril Gamini to the CID seeking a week’s time to prepare and come give his statement. He said that the CID gave permission for that request.
The SIS chief on Monday (25) filed a complaint with the CID regarding the allegations made by Father Cyril Gamini and several other individuals during an online forum held on October 23 to brief Sri Lankan community living overseas on the Easter Sunday attacks.
The complaint referred to comments made by Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, who is a member of the National Catholic Committee for Justice to Easter Sunday Attack Victims, during the online forum alleging that the country’s intelligence units had provided financial and other assistance to Zahran Hashim, the leader of the National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) who was behind the suicide bombings.
The complaint states that it was also alleged, during the webinar, that the then Brigadier Suresh Sallay had played an active role in nurturing Zahran Hashim and his followers.
Major General Sallay had strongly denied the allegations leveled by Father Cyril Gamini and others during the webinar while also charging that the allegations were made with the intention of discrediting him” and are completely false.
Accordingly, the CID yesterday informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that investigations have commenced regarding the complaint filed by the Major General Suresh Sallay.
