Sri Lanka’s Perpetual Surplus And Perennial Imports Of Paddy
S. Sivathasan
Mr. Neville D. Jayaweera, of good report is too well known for me to introduce or write about. I invoke his name to recall two quips of his on the Food Production Drive of Dudley 1966 -70, the part he played in it and the fate he suffered. With conviction about the need for this effort and probably enamoured of the success surrounding it, he devoted much time of the SLBC to sing its praise. He was the first Chairman of that institution. This had earned him the ire of Srimao who succeeded Dudley as PM in May 1970. Those whom she saw as contributing to success were moved out and the first in line were the ablest (not a few). NDJ and Bradman Weerakoon were among them.
Mr.Jayaweera assumed duties as GA Vavuniya. At a conference he told the officers of the District assembled at the Kachcheri, about his career. “Youngest AGA Badulla, Youngest GM Gal Oya Development Board, youngest GA Jaffna, youngest GA Trinco, youngest Head of SLBC and oldest GA Vavuniya”. The officers gleaned the reason. At a subsequent conference when he doubted the achievement figures in agriculture presented at the conference, he said “You gave the figures, I publicized them and now both of us are here together”. So where does truth lie? Statistics prepared with professionalism and disseminated with impeccable honesty carry conviction. When credibility with the reader is lost everything is lost. At least two institutions need to be a beacon. The Department of Census and Statistics and the Central Bank are the two.
Dudley’s Achievement
The country has had three Ministers of agriculture DS, Dudley and Phillip, knowledgeable, committed, earnest and with a sense of mission. A fourth Lalith had his wings clipped at birth lest he blazons forth. Yet he made a success of agriculture and the portfolio was snatched in a year. A Head of Government who channeled the benefit of his experience and all his energies for the success of agricultural production was Dudley during his premiership. His government determined the achievable, declared in 1966 that 70% self-sufficiency in paddy production was the target for 1970 and set about its task diligently. He brought under his wings, agriculture, irrigation and district administration together with all the institutions connected to them and seen as fundamental to success. Plans were pragmatic, reports authentic and timely and the country came to know them as such. In 1970, when achievement was assessed, it was a neat 70%. Dudley had met with his finest hour.
