Comments on: No one to listen to our pleas http://www.groundviews.org/2008/04/16/no-one-to-listen-to-our-pleas/ groundviews is an award winning Sri Lankan citizen journalism initiative Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:08:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Karl http://www.groundviews.org/2008/04/16/no-one-to-listen-to-our-pleas/#comment-2570 Karl Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:30:25 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=832#comment-2570 Skyrocketing commodity prices is not an isolated incident in Sri Lanka but a global phenomenon drawn about by three mail factors:- 1) reducing the poverty gap (more people are able to afford basic commodities e.g. rice, milk, etc). 2) the global population is steadily increasing (along with resource consumption) 3) search for alternative fuel sources (wheat converted to ethonal as a petrol substitute) being an island with a (regularly) predictable rainfall calender, it would prove prudent to assist farmers with adequate farming/ drainage (rain water run-off) assistance along with the (in)adequate subsidies and/or rain water harvest to prevent constant flooding. Most of these problems can be better addressed:- 1) fuel prices (installing another petroleum refinery) and possibly investing hedge funds to crude oil instead of dollar bonds. 2) growing rice paddy (in stable conditions) reduce/remove government subsides which influence the amount of rice grown/ harvested. Less grown = more profits. without subsidies farmers will have to produce maximum yield for profit (due to market forces price determinant). 3) there should be more active participation by private entities to help assist (or be it privatization) of certain governmental functions to allow more sources of commodity imports. Food for thought. Skyrocketing commodity prices is not an isolated incident in Sri Lanka but a global phenomenon drawn about by three mail factors:-
1) reducing the poverty gap (more people are able to afford basic commodities e.g. rice, milk, etc).
2) the global population is steadily increasing (along with resource consumption)
3) search for alternative fuel sources (wheat converted to ethonal as a petrol substitute)

being an island with a (regularly) predictable rainfall calender, it would prove prudent to assist farmers with adequate farming/ drainage (rain water run-off) assistance along with the (in)adequate subsidies and/or rain water harvest to prevent constant flooding.

Most of these problems can be better addressed:-
1) fuel prices (installing another petroleum refinery) and possibly investing hedge funds to crude oil instead of dollar bonds.
2) growing rice paddy (in stable conditions) reduce/remove government subsides which influence the amount of rice grown/ harvested. Less grown = more profits. without subsidies farmers will have to produce maximum yield for profit (due to market forces price determinant).
3) there should be more active participation by private entities to help assist (or be it privatization) of certain governmental functions to allow more sources of commodity imports.

Food for thought.

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