Sri Lanka
A web-based facility for storing and access of sub-national agricultural statistical data files from the country source. National focal points are responsible for maintaining the database.
Agricultural Sector in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka situated in the North latitude between 05 0- 10 0 and East longitude 79 0 – 82 0 in the globe with a total population of 18,732,000 according to the Census of Population and Housing 2001 and with an annual growth rate of 1.2 percent, had reached up to 19,462,000 in the year 2004 as per mid year population estimates. The total land area comprised of 6.56 million hectares or 65,600 square kilometers of which 32 percent is estimated to be under forest and woodland and another 30 percent is under agriculture. The landscape of the country can be described as a compact area with a central mountainous region with peaks as high as 2,500 meters above sea level.
Number of rivers spring up from the central highlands flow towards the sea passing through the low lying planes in a radial pattern. This favorable atmosphere has been contributed the Sri Lanka to be predominantly agricultural country from the ancient times. Its culture has been centered on the concept of “Temple and Tank” and there are lots of evidences of undertaking giant agricultural projects, which go backs to 2000 years and many of them are visible even today. As a result of the invasion of foreign powers, the agricultural policies were transferred to import export economy concept through which more attention was focused on the improvement of plantation sector while the domestic food producing sector was discouraged. This has been caused to the existence of dual economic characteristics in the agricultural sector between more organized plantation sector and domestic food producing sector. Among them, types of crops planted, production means, and mode of transport, labor intensiveness, crop management and record keeping are more vital.
Following indicators justifies the importance of agriculture in the economy of Sri Lanka.
· More than 65 percent of the rural families secure their livelihood from Agriculture.
· About 35 percent of the employed population is engaged in agriculture.
· About 20 percent of the GDP is derived from agriculture.
· About 30 percent of the land area is devoted for agriculture.
· About 24 percent of gross export earnings are from agricultural commodities.
Since the country gained independence in 1948, much development work has been focused on the production of food crops through the cultivation of unutilized land by irrigation and multi purpose projects. The increase in the area under cultivation from 1948 to 2002 is 1.7 million hectares to 2 million hectares.
Agricultural land operated in the Island reported at the Census of Agriculture 2002 was 1,920, 324 hectares and it represents about 30 percent of the total land area. The composition of agricultural land under small holdings is 80 percent and they are less than 8 hectares while the balance belongs to large holdings or estate sector. The notable feature is that the average farm size in the small holding sector is less than one hectare. The gross extent cultivated under major crops is Paddy 600,000 ha. Coconut 395,000 ha. Tea 211,000 ha. and Rubber 115,000 ha. Rural peasantry farmers who are engaged in cultivation of food crops such as paddy, the staple food crop in the wetland and other subsidiary food crops that are manly confined to home gardens contributed to over 2/3rd t of the agricultural land. The important peasant crop is paddy of which the land pre prepared known as “Asweddumized” extend aggregated up to about 750, 000 ha. in the country. Currently in a main season known as “Maha” cultivates about 600,000 ha. of paddy and in the second season “Yala” the area restricts mainly to irrigated land which would be about a half of the extent of main season depending on the water availability.
National Information System of Agriculture
Basically the statistical system in Sri Lanka is a centralized one and the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) is the central agency functioning under the President, the chief executive of the state responsible for collection, compilation and dissemination of all types of socio-economic information and vested with legal authority under the Census and Statistical ordinances. The collection of Food and Agricultural Statistics is one of the main responsibilities of Agriculture and Environment Division of DCS. This division collects and compiles the FAS through the means of (a). Annual/biannual sample surveys, (b). Adhoc surveys (c). Administrative records and (d). Census of Agriculture conducted decennially and disseminates data through different means such as electronic media, hard prints, etc,.
Contact address of Food and Agricultural Statistics in Sri Lanka
Agriculture Division
Department of Census and Statistics
No. 30 Asoka Garden
Colombo 4
Tel: (94-1) 1-2502953
Fax: (94-1) 1-2502953
E-mail: agriculture@statistics.gov.lk
Other related links:
To top
