According to legend, a goatherd found his flock frolicking about after munching on coffee cherries. From food and drink for African tribesmen, coffee evolved into a global phenomenon of extravagant proportions. A frost damaged about half of the country’s coffee trees. When another frost had again hit world’s largest coffee grower in Brazil, Brazil suspended all shipments. Pending assessment of damage and uneasy importers, fearing a shortage, went on a buying spree. Farmers have long periods of low prices, short periods of high ones. When highs occur, farmers rush to plant. Overproduction follows, prices fall. Farmers tear their plants and plant more stable crops. A disruption will start the cycle again.Producers and consumers agree that the only solution is to limit output to what the market can absorb and sell at reasonable prices. By imposing a quota system, they can limit the outflow of beans from producing nations in times of oversupply.

Word Count: 150

Lukas family was worried because …

Lukas is missing. They were afraid that the fog would block the sight of the child from seeing the footpath. However, noone would know the whereabouts of Lukas in the forest. There were no tracks in the forest and even if there is, many children are on the Island and there would be many tracks. The elephants have been active in the forest recently and might have notice if they step on Lukas. Martiens, Dawid, Koo, and Elias search in a different direction and called out till the tenth time when they will turn back and move on. The women make a big fire in the middle of the Island. If Lukas sees it, he will return. Koo told the nearest forester about Lukas. By midday, fourteen woodcutters were part of the search. Next morning, constables came to help. As days pass, more men came to help, but Lukas was never seen again.

Word Count: 150 words

Lukas family was worried because Lukas was missing. Anna went to fetch the men as she knows the footpaths and what to do when there are elephants on the way.Malie, Sofie and Elias searched and called out for Lukas until dark. Malie was worried that the same thing would happen to Lukas like her aunt and was also worried that the elephants would stepped on him. Including Mariten himself, Dawid ,Koo and Elias was to search the forest in a specified direction that was instructed .The women make a big fire in the middle of the Island so that if Lukas sees it, he will return. Koo went to tell the nearest forester about Lukas. By midday, fourteen woodcutters were part of the search. Next morning, constables came to help. On the fourth day, twenty-four men .On the fifth day, there were thirty. The sixth day, there were forty. Lukas was never been seen again.

Word Count: 150

The Truth
"No prolonged violent civil war ends quietly. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are squalling like a cat on the losing end of a desperate fight." The armed conflict between the Sinhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka has troubled Sri Lanka for more than 20 years.

Agilan was a worker in the tea plantation then. In 1948, when Sri Lanka achieved independence from the British, Agilan and many other Indian Tamils became stateless because citizenship were only granted to those born in Sri Lanka and those whose fathers and grandfathers were born there. As Agilan, nor his father or his grandfather were born in Sri Lanka. The Ceylon Citizenship Act was unfair to Agilan. They had lived and contributed significantly to the Sri Lankan economy but were denied basic rights such as voting.

In 1956, the Official Language Act declared Sinhala as the National Language. Tamils in the government service had to learn Sinhala within three years. If they failed to comply, dismissal was imminent. Although Agilan was a worker in the tea plantation, he had plans to find a job with more prospects. The Official Language Act upset Agilan as well as the other Tamil Indians as it was difficult to find jobs or rise up the ladder.
Agilan’s brother, Amalan, was in the government sector. He was furious when Sinhala became the country’s National Language.

“Agilan, it isn’t fair right? We contributed considerably to the Sri Lanka economy and this is how they treat us! Come, come with me, our leader, Chelvanayakam, is leading some of us to do a peaceful demonstration against the Official Language Act in the afternoon,” exclaimed Amalan, fixing his gaze on Agilan.

Agilan did not go with his brother, as he had work in the afternoon. Never did he expect that it was the last time he would have seen his brother.

“Agilan, the peaceful demonstration against the Official Language Act was disrupted by supporters of the Sinhala Language. Over a hundred people were killed, your brother was one of them,” gasped Gunalan, who was Amalan’s colleague.

Agilan was working in the tea plantation when he heard this news. Agilan‘s heart was filled with hatred and anger. He did not resorted to violence, as he did not want to have an ending the same as his brother. In fact, what Agilan could do, was only, to hold grudges against the Sinhalese. Nevertheless, Agilan worked even harder. He wanted to prove to the Sinhalese that no matter how biased they were to the Tamils, it was possible to get a job that held more prospects.

One evening, when Agilan was returning home from work, he saw something on the notice board that shocked him deeply. Agilan was exhausted but the words on the notice board energised him.

It wrote; “With effect from the end of this month, not only the Sinhalese peasants would live in Jaffna and Batticaloa, Buddhist monks and the Sri Lankan Army which comprise mostly of Sinhalese will come to occupy this land.”

Agilan‘s confidence was short-lived. From 1970, there were changes in educational policies. It was compulsory for Tamil students to score higher marks than the Sinhalese to enter the same courses in the universities. Agilan soon gave up hope on entering the university he was eyeing. He felt that no matter how hard he tried, the Sinhalese would get in before him. It was impossible to lead a life that was as carefree as a Sinhalese.

Agilan joined the new political party called the Tamil United Liberation Front. Its aim is to ask for a separate independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Agilan as well as the others believed that only separation from Sri Lanka would ensure their rights. The Sri Lankan government rejected the idea of a separate and independent Tamil state. Agilan as well as some of the others were angry and dissatisfied. They formed a militant group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Agilan and the others resorted to violence. Given a choice, they would chose otherwise. Although Agilan did not want to have an ending the same as his brother, if sacrificing meant the welfare of the future descendants, he would.

Violence did not come only from the Tamils. The Sinhalese also showed their hostility towards the Tamils, sometimes through violence. "No prolonged violent civil war ends quietly. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are squalling like a cat on the losing end of a desperate fight."

Word Count: 746