Sri Lanka Recent Developments in Public Agricultural Research
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SRI LANKA RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN PUBLIC AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Padmini Girihagama, Michael Rahija, and Gert-Jan Stads Country Note • August 2012 LONG-TERM INVESTMENT AND CAPACITY Recent Key Trends PATTERNS IN PUBLIC AGRICULTURAL R&D • Sri Lanka reduced its public investment in agricultural ri Lanka has faced enormous challenges in recent years. A research and development (R&D) by one-third from 2000 to 26-year-long civil war has scarred the nation, and a tsunami 2009, mainly because the worsening security situation forced Sin 2004 left tens of thousands of its people dead, injured, the government to divert resources to national security. or homeless. Despite these catastrophes, Sri Lanka’s economy grew at a yearly rate of almost 6 percent during 2000-2010 • Total agricultural R&D staf increased by 20 percent during (World Bank 2012). In 2010, agriculture accounted for 13 percent 2000–09, but recruitment restrictions in the public sector of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). However, the have prevented many of these scientists from being granted actual contribution of agriculture to the overall economy is much full researcher status. higher, due to the sector’s close linkages with the food industry. For this reason, it could be argued that oicial agricultural • The Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy GDP (AgGDP) igures fail to fully capture the importance of (SLCARP) is the umbrella organization that oversees the the agricultural sector to the national economy. Investment in national agricultural research system. public agricultural research and development (R&D) dropped by • At 48 percent, Sri Lanka’s share of women scientists is among one-third from 1.9 billion Sri Lankan rupees, or 54.9 million PPP the highest in the developing world. dollars in 2000, to 1.3 billion rupees or 37.5 million PPP dollars in 2009 (all amounts in constant 2005 prices) (Figure 1; Table 1).1 Note that unless otherwise stated all dollar values in this report The reason for the decline in public agricultural R&D are based on purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates. PPPs expenditures is twofold. First, the country’s security situation relect the purchasing power of currencies better than standard pressed the government to divert resources toward combating exchange rates because they compare the prices of a broader civil unrest at the expense of other public causes. Second, range of local goods and services—as opposed to internationally revenues from a cess on the production and export of plantation traded ones. crops were gradually channeled away from R&D. Figure 1—Public agricultural R&D spending adjusted for Figure 2—Public agricultural research staing in full-time inlation, 1990–2009 equivalents, 1990–2009 650 2,000 57 dollars Million 2005 PPP 520 1,500 43 390 1,000 28 260 500 14 130 0 0 Million 2005 Sri Lankan rupees 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 Number of FTE researchers 0 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 DOA Other NARIs (12) Higher education (7) DOA Other NARIs (12) Higher education (7) Sources: ASTI 2010–11; Stads, Gunasena, and Herath 2005; SLCARP 2003–09. Notes: Figures in parentheses indicate the number of agencies in each category. For more information on coverage and estimation procedures, see the Sri Lanka Sources: SLCARP 2003–09; Stads, Gunasena, and Herath 2005. country page on ASTI’s website at www.asti.cgiar.org/sri-lanka. Note: Figures in parentheses indicate the number of agencies in each category. Table 1—Overview of public agricultural R&D spending and research staing levels, 2009 ASTI Website Interaction Total spending Total staing Sri Lankan PPP More details on investments and capacity in Type of agency rupees dollars Shares Number Shares agricultural research in Sri Lanka are available (million 2005 prices) (%) (FTEs) (%) in the 2005 country brief at www.asti.cgiar.org/ DOA 347.1 9.9 26 268.7 43 pdf/SriLanka_CB31.pdf. Other NARIs (12) 775.1 22.0 59 278.9 45 Higher education (7) 197.5 5.6 15 71.1 11 Underlying datasets can be downloaded using ASTI’s data tool at asti.cgiar.org/data. Total (20) 1,319.8 37.5 100 618.8 100 A list of the thirteen government agencies, and Sources: SLCARP 2009; ASTI 2010–11. Note: Figures in parentheses indicate the number of agencies in each category. seven higher education agencies included in this brief is available at asti.cgiar.org/sri-lanka/ agencies. In terms of human resource capacity, the number of agricultural researchers employed in Sri Lanka rose from 518 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in 2000 to 619 in 2009 (Figure 2; asti.cgiar.org/sri-lanka Table 1). Despite this overall increasing trend, some year-to-year luctuations were observed. Starting in 2001, the government restricted recruitment across the public sector. This caused an of researchers employed by DOA increased from 181 FTEs in overall decline in the number of FTE researchers. In 2004, in an 2000 to 269 in 2009. In contrast, DOA’s expenditures fell by 18 efort to circumvent this policy and compensate for declining percent over this period, from 424.5 million rupees or 12.1 million research capacity, many new scientists were hired, though PPP dollars to 347.1 million rupees or 9.9 million PPP dollars (all they were not given full researcher status. The total number of in 2005 prices). These somewhat contradictory trends can be agricultural R&D staf decreased slightly during 2008–2009, as explained by the fact that many of DOA’s recently hired scientists scientists retired or left to seek opportunities in the private sector were not given oicial researcher status and thus received lower and abroad. salaries and beneits. Additionally, funding from a grants scheme, The Sri Lanka Council for Agricultural Research Policy the Competitive Contract Research Program (CCRP), ended in (SLCARP) is the umbrella organization that oversees the country’s 2005, and foreign donors reduced their contributions. public agricultural R&D system. The system is made up of 13 DOA has a complex structure that includes three research national agricultural research institutes (NARIs) including the institutes, a number of smaller technical service centers, and SLCARP Secretariat, and a smaller higher education sector. The other support services. The three research institutes are the Secretariat is located in Colombo and was established in 1987 Food Crops Research and Development Institute (FCRDI), the to develop policies and strategies for a productive national Horticulture Research and Development Institute (HORDI), and agricultural research system (SLCARP 2012a). the Rice Research and Development Institute (RRDI). As the The NARIs accounted for 85 percent of Sri Lanka’s public country’s largest agency engaged in agricultural R&D, HORDI was agricultural R&D spending in 2009. Excluding the SLCARP a major driver of growth in capacity at DOA. From 2000 to 2009, Secretariat, the following eight NARIs fall under the Ministry the number of FTE researchers at HORDI increased from 31 to 57, of Agriculture: the Department of Agriculture (DOA), the respectively (ASTI 2010–11). Many agricultural scientists consider Department of Export Agriculture (DEA), the Forest Department HORDI an attractive employer because of its proximity to Kandy, (FD), the Hector Kobbe Kaduwa Agrarian Research and Training a city with a higher standard of living than more remote areas. Institute (HARTI), the Institute of Post Harvest Technology (IPHT), In contrast to DOA’s rising trend in researcher numbers, the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development staing at the other NARIs has been relatively stable since the Agency (NARA), the Veterinary Research Institute (VRI), and turn of the millennium. However, total agricultural R&D spending the National Botanical Gardens (NBG). The four remaining at these agencies fell drastically, from 1.3 billion rupees or 32.5 NARIs are the Coconut Research Institute (CRI), the Sugarcane million PPP dollars in 2000 to 77.5 million rupees or 22.0 million Research Institute (SRI), the Tea Research Institute (TRI), and the PPP dollars in 2009 (in constant 2005 prices). The plantation Rubber Research Institute (RRI), which fall under the Ministry of research institutes were hit particularly hard due to cess revenues Plantations. being gradually channeled away from agricultural R&D. During The largest NARI by far is the DOA which focuses on 2000–2009, spending at the TRI and CRI declined by 61 and 44 increasing productivity in the food crop sector. It also engages percent, respectively. in a number of agricultural activities outside of research, such as Seven Sri Lankan universities were engaged in agricultural seed distribution, the production of seed and planting materials, R&D in 2009. Their faculties of agriculture employed a total and education (DOA 2006). Overall, DOA employs 43 percent of 71 FTEs, up from 54 in 2003. The seven are Sabaragamuwa of Sri Lanka’s agricultural scientists, but it accounted for just 26 University of Sri Lanka, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, the percent of public agricultural R&D spending in 2009. The number University of Jafna, Eastern University, the University of Ruhuna, 2 the University of Peradeniya, and Rajarata University of Sri Lanka. The Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Peradeniya (FA-UP) ASTI Website Interaction is by far the largest of these, employing 31 FTEs in agriculture- related sciences in 2009. Private-sector agricultural R&D investment data in Sri Lanka Detailed deinitions of PPPs, FTEs, and other is hard to come by. For this reason, the private sector has been methodologies employed by ASTI are available excluded from the current study. Private-sector engagement in agricultural R&D is believed to be limited to export crops, at asti.cgiar.org/methodology.