Sri Lanka's President dismisses Agriculture Secretary a day after he warned of food crisis

The Sri Lankan government fired the country's top bureaucrat in charge of the vital agriculture sector on Wednesday, a day after he warned of an approaching food crisis owing to the country's protracted economic and social turmoil. According to a statement from the President's Office, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has sacked Agriculture Secretary Professor Udith Jayasinghe. DMLD Bandaranayake has been appointed as the new Agriculture Secretary.

Though no official reason for Jayasinghe's departure has been revealed, however, according to reports, experts believe it was because of his warnings about a future food crisis and the steps he proposed to deal with it. It was more vital, according to Jayasinghe, to treat the problem than criticize what created it.

According to a report on the news website hirunews.lk, Jayasinghe stated that if the Sri Lankan economy is able to restrict the import of non-essential food and beverages and focus solely on vital imports such as milk powder, the country's future development will be greatly aided. He also added that the authorities or officials do not need to create a food crisis in the country, the news website reported.

"There is a possibility of food shortages happening due to the current economic and social problems we are facing. People must be prepared to make sacrifices in order to face the shortages of food. We have to stop importing apples and oranges, priority has to be given to the needy such as the elderly, the expectant mothers and the sick," Jayasinghe told journalists on Tuesday.

The coronavirus outbreak wreaked havoc on Sri Lanka's economy, which is heavily reliant on tourism, and the government responded by imposing a sweeping import embargo to shore up foreign exchange reserves, resulting in shortages of basic items.
Because commercial banks ran out of cash to finance imported items, supermarkets have been rationing milk powder, sugar, lentils, and other necessities for months.

Farmers blame Govt's restriction on pesticide imports for food shortages

The government's restriction on pesticide imports, which was eased in November following catastrophic crop failures, exacerbated food shortages. The administration has been crticised by farmers since mid-year for enforcing a restriction on chemical fertiliser imports. Due to a lack of fertiliser, farmers have warned of food shortages.

In May, the president imposed a halt to fertiliser imports in order to support his government's green economy programme. He advised farmers to switch to organic farming. Critics, on the other hand, said that the decision was prompted by the government's inability to pay for chemical fertiliser imports due to the island's current foreign reserves issue.

(With inputs from agencies)