Propoor Policies of Sri Lanka for Agriculture and Rural Development

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• Pro-poor Policies of Sri Lanka for Agriculture
  and Rural Development
• by
• Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA)

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• Pro-poor Policies
• (enabling pro-poor growth-Poor people
  Participating in growth)
• Pro-poor Growth
• Poverty Reduction

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What are Pro-poor Policies?

• Those policies that aim to improve the assets and
  capabilities of poor people (Wellbeing)
• (Curran de Renzio, 2006).
• Policy interventions that directly target poor
  people or focus on poverty reduction in general
• Some policies are not specifically targeted the
  poor but are assumed (indirectly) to have
  pro-poor outcomes
• Rural development programmes,
• National legislation on gender equality,
  institutional reforms
• Indicators ( Income, education, health) of poor
  improves faster than for non-poor
• (Kate Bird, Stefanie Busse 2006)

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When Formulating Pro-poor Policies

• Which sectors and sub-sectors are growing most
  rapidly?
• Which sectors and sub-sectors have pro-poorest
  potential?
• Are these growing sectors concentrated or evenly
  spread in the country?
• Who is benefiting from the growth?
• What factors are blocking the equity opportunity
  for the poor? (Barriers to entry-
  Discriminations, exclusion)
• How can growth processes be encouraged which
  generate employment opportunities for unskilled,
  semi-skilled and rural workers
• (Kate Bird, Stefanie Busse 2006)

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Pro-poor Policies
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Why Agriculture and Rural Sectors are Important
From a Pro-poor Policy Perspective?

• Contributes 16.8 of Sri Lankas GDP in 2006.
• 24 of gross export earnings are from
  agricultural commodities
• More than 65 of the rural families secure
  significant share of their income from
  Agriculture livelihoods
• 30 of the land area is devoted for agriculture.
• 32 of the employed population is engaged in
  agriculture.
• Sector employs 2,122,000 people

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Poverty in Rural Sector
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Agriculture Policies

• Overall Agriculture policy
• Increasing the productivity, creating exportable
  surplus and import substitution, promote
  processing, marketing and value addition,
  employment
• Sectoral Policies
• Non Plantation Agriculture
• Plantation Sector
• Livestock and Fisheries Sector
• Land
• Irrigation

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• Non Plantation Agriculture
• Promoting Domestic Agriculture
• Achieving food security and productivity
  enhancement
• Facilitating marketing and related infrastructure
• Minimizing post harvest losses
• Participation of community based organizations
  (CBOs)
• Trade Related
• Adopting stable trade policies
• Enhancing the agricultural export base
• Providing rural financing
• Transforming the current net importer status
• Research and Development
• Enhancing agricultural research
• Utilizing and sharing plant genetic resources
• Ensuring seed and planting material production

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• Livestock Sector
• Dairy Sector
• Promote liquid milk production in non-traditional
  areas
• Quality improvement of diary herd
• Improve the competitiveness of the sector
• Encourage value addition
• Poultry Sector
• Encourage private investment
• Limiting the public sector investment and
  encourage private sector activities.
• Meat sub-sector
• Limiting the public sector investment and
  encourage private sector activities.

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• Land Policy
• Agriculture and food security -allocation of
  land, non-conversion of non-marginal land and
  Productivity improvement? Self sufficiency in
  food
• Land and People Land Information System and
  land data bank to minimise the fragmentation and
  avoid encroachment
• Bimsaviya
• Instituting a land policy framework
• Giving free hold rights

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Irrigation Policies

• Institutional Policy
• Irrigation System Management Policies
• Operation and Maintenance
• Water Allocation
• Irrigation Financing

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Irrigation

• Strategies and Interventions to achieve policy
  objectives
• Investment in
• rehabilitation of existing irrigation system
• development of new irrigation systems
• in watershed development in minor and major
  irrigation schemes
• private investments by farmers
• Improvement
• Improving productivity and irrigation efficiency
• Improved water allocation system
• Small tank / minor scheme rehabilitation
  Dahasak Vew"
• Institutional reforms and capacity building

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• Prosperous Village

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• Livelihoods
• Diriya Kantha programme for women
• Livelihood skills programme for youth
• Dairy Village Program
• Establish dairy villages to develop productivity,
  processing and marketing of milk and milk
  products
• Science and Technology
• Nana Sala programme
• Gamata Thaakshanaya (Technology to Village)-
  Vidatha resource centre
• Land
• Senkadagala Revival-State land to landless
• Rural Credit
• SME Development
• Gemidiriya

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Infrastructure

• Ruhuna Re-awakening
• Tourist centers and eco-tourism Southern highway,
  Connecting roads, ports and commercial towns
• Rajarata Reawakening
• Maga Neguma (Rehabilitation of rural roads and
  minor extension)
• The providing of transport facilities for rural
  population agricultural produce
• Gemi Diriya Project
• Developing rural infrastructure, market
  facilities, credit and technical support services
• Pubudamu Wellassa

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• Expansion of Rural Electrification
• low cost electricity by establishing low cost
  coal-fired plants
• Dedicated Economic Centres
• Elimination of middleman, competitive price,
  employment, promotion of services
• Model periphery village schemes in economic
  zones.
• Institutions
• Gemidiriya- strengthening local governments
  planning and implementation capacity

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Samurdhi Programme

• Cash grant programme
• Livelihood Development through supportive
  measures- Entrepreneurial Development
• Jana Pubuduwa and Gam Pubuduwa

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Questions for Discussion

• Why does Sri Lanka need pro-poor policies? Is
  there a need to differentiate within
  sectors/areas?
• Are directly targeted policies to the poor likely
  to generate greater benefits than general
  policies? In which instances?
• Policy as written and policy as implemented,
  Is there is a difference in pro-poor sense, why?
• What challenges are faced when implementing
  pro-poor policies? (Various institutions)
• Are the poor participating in decision making (in
  formulating Policies)? How?

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• Thank You