Dr Manoj Thibbotuwawa Discusses Sri Lanka’s Food Crisis on Sirasa TV’s ‘Mawatha’

26 May 2022

Participating in the ‘Mawatha’ live panel discussion telecast over Sirasa TV, IPS Research Fellow Dr Manoj Thibbotuwawa discussed the problems Sri Lanka will face over the coming months in securing food for its population. He pointed out that a global food shortage, due largely to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, will be experienced in the coming months. As a result, many countries will stockpile essential food items and limit exports, in effect increasing the prices of these items. Sri Lanka, with its limited foreign reserves and economic mismanagement, will find it difficult to ensure food security for its population.

Dr Thibbotuwawa said that Sri Lanka’s food security is further hampered due to the chemical fertiliser ban, with an estimated crop yield loss of 30-50% expected this Maha season as a result. His recommendations to minimise the problem include the prioritisation of necessary quantities of chemical fertiliser imports to use with input efficient techniques such as integrated plant nutrition management (IPNM), integrated pest management (IPM), Sri Lanka good agricultural practices (SL-GAP); planned and monitored home gardening; liaison with the donor community for food aid; prioritisation of importation of essential food and nutritional support for targetted groups.

Watch a summary of Dr Thibbotuwawa’s presentation HERE.

Watch the full discussion HERE.