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SRI LANKA , a small island at the southern tip of India, had a population of 18.6 million in 1999.The country has an area of 65,600 km2, which is divided into two climate zones, wet in the southwest and dry elsewhere. The land is mainly flat with a central mountain range. Arable land is 14%of the total. Agriculture accounts for 38% of the workforce and 21% of the GDP. Rice is the second largest crop after tea.
General information
- GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 3,460
- Internal renewable water resources: 43.2 km3
- Main food consumed: rice, wheat, nuts, sugar and honey, oil and fat
- Rice consumption, 1999: 99.2 kg milled rice per person per year
Production constraints
Both the harvested area and yield have remained more or less unchanged during the last 10 years, indicating the need to create a more dynamic rice research and development program. The major constraints to sustainable rice production in Sri Lanka are
- Small holdings, limited ownership of land, and high costs of inputs, especially labor
- Lack of credit and inputs (fertilizer and seed)
- Inadequacy of trained personnel for decentralization of agricultural extension
- Inconsistent government policies on rice imports
- Low soil fertility
- Degradation of irrigation facilities
Production season |
|
|
|
Planting |
Harvesting |
Major (Maha) |
Oct-Nov |
Feb-Mar |
Minor (Yala) |
Apr-May |
Aug-Sep |
Basic statistics, Sri Lanka |
|
1985 |
1990 |
1995 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
Rice |
Area harvested (ha) |
864,677 |
828,246 |
889,589 |
829,098 |
870,880 |
870,880 |
Yield (t/ha) |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.2 |
3.2 |
3.3 |
3.1 |
Production (t) |
2,661,211 |
2,538,000 |
2,809,890 |
2,692,340 |
2,857,110 |
2,767,000 |
Rice imports (t) |
176,863 |
131,771 |
9,106 |
167,547 |
206,137 |
na |
Paddy imports (t) |
29 |
0 |
21 |
60 |
2,761 |
na |
Rice exports (t) |
5 |
246 |
43,832 |
2,739 |
1,404 |
na |
Paddy exports (t) |
2 |
29 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
na |
Others |
Population, total ( x 10 3 ) |
16,046 |
17,045 |
17,920 |
18,455 |
18,639 |
na |
Population, agriculture ( x 10 3 ) |
8,176 |
8,402 |
8,563 |
8,656 |
8,688 |
na |
Agricultural area ( x 10 3 ha) |
2,315 |
2,339 |
2,326 |
2,329 |
na |
na |
Irrigated agricultural area ( x 10 3 ha) |
583 |
520 |
570 |
651 |
na |
na |
Total fertilizer consumption (t) |
195,483 |
171,143 |
199,861 |
233,128 |
na |
na |
Tractors used in agric. (no.) |
8,500 |
6,500 |
7,417 |
7,356 |
na |
na |
Source: FAOSTAT online database. |
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