The impact of high yielding varieties of rice on a settlement scheme in Ceylon
Loading...
Date
1972
Authors
Amerasinghe, N.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Peradeniya
Abstract
Following the discovery of the high yielding varieties (HYV) of foodgrains and their commercial application, a transformation in productive technology has been set in train in a vital area of agriculture. The increase in productivity generated by this technological breakthrough has led to the rapid diffusion of the new practices in certain areas. These changes have opened out the exciting prospect of making substantial profits in farming and the equally significant possibility of converting hitherto non-viable farms into viable ones. The new varieties of traditional foodgrains in particular have touched off a transformation in the growing of crops, and this development could be considered to be the basic factor underlying the so called "green revolution". The "green revolution" has attracted the universal interest of all those concerned, and helped to dispel the conventional wisdom with regard to change and development among farmers of the Third World. Strategies involving high yielding varieties of seeds for agricultural development have been adopted or are under active consideration by governments the world over. This paper examines the concerted efforts by the Government of Sri Lanka towards adopting such a strategy in order to bring about rapid changes in the levels of productivity in the island in general andin settlement schemes in particular. Settlement Schemes! have been inexistence for over four decades and have had a special significance in the history of alienation and development of crown land in Ceylon, (Ref. 4). At present there are 80 major coloni sation schemes covering an area of 304,355 acres of irrigable and unirrigable land (Ref. 2). The average size of holding of paddy (rice) land is 3 acres while that of un irrigable highland is 1.8 acres (Ref. 7). Colonisation schemes have been under cons tantcriticism due to their poor levels of performance. Following the recommendations
of the 1.B.R.D. in 1966 (Ref. 8), which was particularly critical of the colonisation schemes, a number of remedial measures were suggested. These recommendations which included methods for increasing productivity and economies in the use of irrigation water were introduced on a pilot basis in 1967 within one major colonisation scheme.Encouraged by the success of the pilot project, uiueother colonisation schemes
Description
Keywords
Ceylon , High yielding varieties
Citation
Modern Sri Lanka Studies, 1972, III(1), P 19-35