Organic rice

A Government decision to purchase a kilo of organic rice for Rs. 60 is a welcome and progressive step to popularise and give equal access to health products for all people. Commonly organic products are prohibitively expensive and supply chains skip over lower middle class consumers but if the Government can step in to rectify supply shortfalls then it would mean a healthier Sri Lanka.   

Organic rice is healthy, toxic free and produces valuable Ecosystem Goods and Services (EGSs), points out the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), such as improved soil productivity, reduced water pollution and increased bio-diversity.  Traditional rice varieties that are known for many positive health impacts are mostly used in organic farming. 

Some such varieties contain a low glycaemic index, suitable for diabetic patients; some for people with cholesterol, while some help ease off the effects of chemotherapy for cancer patients. The farmers who have been cultivating and consuming traditional rice for years, have always been aware of these health benefits,  and the researchers of Industrial Training Institute (ITI) of Sri Lanka now has scientific evidence of these benefits. 

In addition, the application of organic manure prevents toxic material from being absorbed by the rice plant. Chemical fertiliser, especially Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) has the probability of releasing heavy metal to the soil, which can be absorbed by the plant or being washed into the water streams polluting the surface as well as ground water. Therefore, the rice varieties as well as the way it’s cultivated defines the good quality of organic rice. 

For a country battling with choric kidney disease, organic seems to be a no brainer but popularising organic products has proved to be contentious. Government efforts to trim the fertiliser subsidy has set off a storm of protest and without a proper regulatory body identifying authentic organic rice, changing the current system could well prove to be a massive challenge.  

There also aren’t any interventions for organic rice farming. What is available is training programmes, awareness programs and distribution of equipment to make organic fertiliser. While such interventions are necessary to boost the organic paddy framing sector, they do not necessarily reduce the opportunity cost of producing high quality organic fertiliser. Technical issues such as organic fertiliser plants have to be established for farmers to grow organic rice in profitable quantity. 

Currently Sri Lanka’s self-sufficiency in rice means little. High production costs including water consumption and low quality means rice cannot be competitively exported large scale. An estimated 70% of Sri Lanka’s labour force is employed in agriculture but many of them are of low education, do not own capital and lack technical knowledge imperative to growing organic rice in large quantities. 

Elsewhere, in top rice-producing countries, organic farmers are teamed up with exceptional research and development teams that have quadrupled yields. The US alone has over 50,000 acres of paddy fields producing organic rice that are outstripping the inorganic rice fields. India and China are among the leading countries experimenting with high-grade organic exports and Sri Lanka is finally trying to catch up. But to do so the Government will have to invest heavily in standards, technical expertise and supply chains, which will prove to be a massive challenge.