The writer has been following, with much interest, the contributions by various writers in relation to the proposal to abandon the use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture, in Sri Lanka. This has been proposed largely with a view to saving the foreign exchange spent on imported chemicals and, hopefully, to increase the health and take-home income of farmers, as well. The recent article by A. Hettiarachchi in
The Island of 29 June 2021 noted some of the considerations which need to be taken into account.
The purpose of the present note, however, lies elsewhere. When the writer was the President of the Sri Lanka Bee Farmers’ Association (SLBFA), he was intrigued to learn that bees’ honey is imported from India, to meet the requirements for the preparations of local ayurvedic physicians. This was in addition to the bees’ honey imported from Australia and other countries for sale in supermarkets and other urban outlets. There is absolutely no reason for this country not to be self-sufficient in the production of bees’ honey. The Department of Agriculture should take the lead to organise this in a systematic manner.