The Agricultural Modernisation Program implemented under the watchful eye of the Presidential Secretariat could induce a new orientation to Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector by incorporating a tourism element into it, thus turning a new page in the annals of the country’s agriculture.
This view, at the first glance may look puzzling, unless one explores its hidden truth. In recent times, Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has manifested an unprecedented transformation. This transformation, manifesting an unprecedented influx of tourists into the country has been influenced by the country’s tropical environmental conditions which have a strong appeal to foreigners, particularly those from the colder regions of the globe.
The environmental conditions in Sri Lanka are somewhat strange. In certain regions they manifest a pattern that resembles wet zone conditions while in certain others they approximate dry or semi-desert conditions.
A typical example is Galgamuwa in the North Western Province. The Galgamuwa Divisional Secretariat area covers villages that manifest semi-desert environmental conditions.
Besides, Galgamuwa is highly vulnerable to frequent elephant attacks. Also, a series of train accidents that brought death to several elephants were reported from this area recently. This tragedy is a phenomenon that manifests the fate of herds of wild elephants roaming the area in search of food and water.
Novel approach
Thus, in the face of these conditions, conventional agriculture is extremely difficult, or in the worst scenario impossible in the area. It is in this context that the Agricultural Modernisation Program being implemented under the monitorship of the Presidential Secretariat could play a leading role in changing the precarious situation farmers of the area eternally confront. However, a new approach under a unique vision is imperative if this objective is to be achieved.
The vision should entail an endeavour that transforms present agricultural practices to a new sphere which has desert agriculture as its nucleus.
As Galgamuwa and some of its neighbouring villages manifest a blend of semi-desert and wet zone environmental patterns, if agriculture is to be resorted to successfully, the strategic approach should be tailor-made to cope with the prevailing hazardous conditions.
Those hazardous conditions, which are inherent to the traditional agricultural practices of the area are mostly linked to drought conditions and elephant infestations. Thus, changing the crop patterns is the key to ensure the avoidance of losses due to droughts and elephant attacks. It is in effecting this transformation that the Agricultural Modernisation Program could play a decisive role.
The crops that could withstand these hazards are drought resistant varieties, ideally desert plants.
Desert plants grow under semi-desert conditions without calling for constant care. Also, they are not vulnerable to attacks by elephants and other species causing harm to cultivations.
Substitutes for traditional crops
A crucial fact that should be taken into account when discussing the transformation of agricultural practices to fall in line with dry zone or desert conditions is the selection of crops as substitutes for the traditional ones. The substitutes, unless they have high market potentials would not bring in the expected turnaround.
There is a potential for some varieties of the cactus family in terms of the market situation.
Other nations have modernised their agricultural export operations by adding new botanical species to the existing assortments, for example, the Nopal Cactus variety.
Countries including those in the cold regions have been successful in the global markets in distributing this cactus variety. Available figures for 2023 show the export volumes thus:
China – US$ 1,100 M, Belgium – 547.3 M, Spain – 510. 2 M, Mexico – 492.2 M, the Netherlands – 319.5 M, Poland – 299.1 M, Egypt – 155.0 M, France – 151.5 M, Turkey – 99.2 M. Hence, these countries have earned US$ 3.661 billion in 2023 as export proceeds on Nopal Cactus.
India, on the other hand, has exported 16,370,000 Kg or 16,370 M/t of the same variety and imported 248,750 Kg the same year.
According to statistics, in 2023, Sri Lanka has exported 180.5 M/t of Nopal Cactus that has fetched US$ 369,000 in foreign markets. Thus, Sri Lanka has gained a footing in the global Cactus market, which if improved would be beneficial to the dry zone agricultural sector.
The local tourism sector could play a decisive role in the Cactus growing program by incorporating the Cactus park concept into the tourism realm. This concept is well established in the global tourism industry as a branch of its echo tourism organ.
The Cactus Country in Strathmerton, Victoria is a typical example of the Cactus parks concept.
In India too, there are many Cactus Parks. In the USA, the Saguaro Cactus Park is a famous landmark that attracts visitors.
Historical context
Sri Lanka’s Agricultural Modernisation endeavours has had many facets. As shown in the country’s history, Sri Lanka’s past agricultural modernisation programs had progressed through several phases. Initially, the country made a name as the Granary of the East. Subsequently, during the Portuguese and Dutch eras, it became renowned for spices. During the British era, Sri Lanka gained global fame as the nursery of the world’s best tea.
In the post independence era, the Galoya and Minneriya colonisation programs added a new facet to the country’s agricultural modernisation endeavour.
Thus, one could view the current Agricultural Modernisation Program as a stepping stone to a unique phase in the modernisation process.
Nopal Cactus varieties
Under that phase, the projects awaiting implementation could link up with the tourism sector and launch a novel program entailing the establishment of Cactus parks to add a new phase to the country’s tourist attractions. Such an approach could lay the foundation to a joint endeavour between the agricultural and tourism sectors, which has a potential to grow into a phenomenal sphere of activity.
Under such a move, Cactus species growing freely in dry zone arid regions could be incorporated into the existing cultivation projects. Thereby the Cactus park concept which other countries promote within their tourism sectors could be added to the local tourism sector as a new branch.
These parks are not ones covering huge areas. Australia’s largest Cactus park, in Strathmerton Victoria covers an extent of 5 Ha. The Panchkula Cactus Garden in India, Asia’s largest outdoor landscaped Cacti and Succulent garden, covers only seven acres, and carries 2,500 varieties. The Hayarkon Park (Hakaktusin Garden) in Israel is just six acres.
The Galgamuwa Divisional Secretariat area, if selected for a pilot project for Cactus growing with the dual objectives of Cactus export promotion as well as introducing the Cactus park concept to the local tourism sector, seems to be a base that would produce promising results.
Cactus, being a dry zone plant absorbing only very little rain water will never be a phreatophyte and thus would not be harmful to the ground water table. The water Cactus varieties absorb during rains is stored by them. That is the secret behind the survival of the members of the Cactus family under extreme drought.
Several agricultural projects with export orientations are being vigorously pursued in the area. Thus, the Cactus project could be harnessed to them as a new approach that would benefit the regions surrounding Galgamuwa that are affected by the aforesaid impediments.
The one and only government sponsored program that could harness the proposed new facet of the Cactus promotion program to the agricultural operations in the affected areas of the Galgamuwa Divisional Secretariat is the Agricultural Modernisation Program.
It is hoped that the ongoing discussions between the private sector and the authorities with the Agricultural Modernisation Program would produce results that would transform the dry zone agriculture by giving it a new impetus to be a collaborator of the country’s export and tourism promotion realms too.
The enthusiasm displayed by the office implementing the Agricultural Modernisation Program is praiseworthy. However, the inclusion of Galgamuwa too under the Agricultural Modernisation Program will be much helpful in implementing the Cactus garden program. The advisability of selecting Galgamuwa as the base for the pilot project becomes more prominent by the presence of plots already covered with various varieties of Cactus.
A Cactus park in the area could incorporate other tourism related features such as biking, eco tourism, village tours and even historical explorations as Yapahuwa, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Dambulla, Polonnaruwa and several other historical sites are within easy access.
