Abstract:
Green Revolution introduced in 1940s refers to the significant increase in
agricultural productivity resulting from the use of high-yield varieties of grains,
pesticides, and improved management techniques. In Sri Lanka, elements of Green
Revolution have been implemented since 1960s. These implementations have
brought a paramount impact on the transformation of traditional cultivation
practices in rural Sri Lanka, in general, and in particular in paddy cultivation. The
present study aimed at investigating the nature and the level of this transformation.
The main objective of the study was to investigate the traditional agricultural
practices in paddy cultivation and their transformation in the face of Green
Revolution in Sri Lankan context. The methodology of the study was of two sorts;
survey and case study. The study area was located in three divisional secretariats;
Sooriyawewa, Angunakolapelessa, and Ambalantota in Hambantota District. Both
primary and secondary data were collected.
The study found that the traditional farming practices are replaced by modem
techniques, and most importantly, the Green Revolution had not been a remedy to
alleviate poverty in the area studied, rather a creator of ranges of problems, issues,
and confusions leading to disintegration of human life in general. The study also
found that the farmers had been severely paralyzed by the adaptation of agricultural
practices introduced by the Green Revolution that had in turn deteriorated human
creativity.
