Sri Lanka has taken the first steps in regenerative agriculture ahead of many countries and has shown the world how to enhance the health of the soil, increase biodiversity, and build resilience to climate change said a regenerative agriculture expert.
“Regenerative agriculture can help Sri Lankan farmers to monitor soil and adopt sustainable farming practices that will result in higher yields and more income while preserving the soil and the environment,” said Solidaridad, Managing Director Dr. Shatadru Chattopadhayay at a forum on ‘Regenagri for Growth Unlocking the Global Market Value through Regenerative Agriculture’ hosted by Solidaridad, Controlunion and Nucleus Foundation in Colombo last week.
He said the tea plantations will benefit by the farming approach which will boost revenue to the industry while retaining the fertility of the soil and earning from carbon credits.
“Yet all depends on collaboration among the government, the private sector and all stakeholders of the industry,” Chattopadhayay said, adding that there has been positive signals from the Sri Lankan government to promote regenerative agriculture. He said Sri Lanka can go from a private to a national project on regenerative agriculture. However, yield stagnation in the tea industry has been threatening the survival of the industry let alone growth.
“Substandard plucking is the root cause of the yield stagnation of the tea industry which has been going on for nearly half a century,” said Chairman of the Tea Small Holdings Development Authority, Nimal Udugampola.
He said substandard plucking retards growth of bushes affecting the soil. The below par plucking standard will result in soil lacking organic carbon.
“Sri Lanka has been relying on chemical fertilizer far too much and now the country is at crossroads. The time to decide has lapsed but it’s never too late at least now to put the house in order,” Udugampola said, adding that the Tea Small Holdings Development Authority has designed the ‘Pivithuru Thedalu Kriyanwithaya’, the immaculate tea leaf plucking initiative.
The program which will be implemented next month with the reorganising of tea smallholder societies to encourage them practice standard plucking which will stimulate tea bushes to grow which will help to turnaround the 157-year old industry.
“It’s a decisive time whether the industry could continue for the next 157 years,” Udugampola said.
Tea small holders account for nearly 75 percent of tea production in the country from an extent of around 158,000 hectares cultivated by 480,000 farmers.
Regenerative agriculture involves practices that aim to build soil organic matter, increase biodiversity, improve water infiltration, and capture carbon, ultimately leading to more resilient and productive ecosystems.
It helps produce enough nutritious food for the world’s population, mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon in soil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, restore threatened biodiversity and enhances natural habitats.
The revenue target from tea exports in 2030 is US$ 2.5 billion and 400 million kgs of by 2028.
