Politick Parliament. On record. For every citizen.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Sitting of Friday, 20 June 2025

10th Parliament· 18 debates· 194 speeches· 60 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1751600792021434 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard

‹ Previous sitting Next sitting ›

Order of business

Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.

  8. 8 Oral question Oral Question: Paddy Marketing Board - Purchase of Paddy (Q.310/2024) 8 speeches
    • The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF

      AI summary Ravi Karunanayake asked the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation for detailed information on the Paddy Marketing Board, including its establishment date, district-wise paddy purchases, procurement centres, storage facilities, and the Government’s share of total harvest purchases over the past three years. He also sought data on State bank financing to paddy mill owners, their purchases by quantity and value, and whether a district-level system would be introduced to convert paddy into rice and distribute it.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Namal Karunaratne - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock JJB

      AI summary Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne provided, on behalf of the Minister, statistical details on Paddy Marketing Board operations, including its establishment date, district-wise paddy purchases for 2022–2024, and the number of purchasing centres and storage facilities available for the 2024/25 Maha season. He stated that PMB purchases fell sharply after 2022, from 78,360.81 MT worth Rs. 6,747.23 million to 2,153.924 MT in 2023 and 2,757.525 MT in 2024, with 133 purchasing centres and 353 storage facilities identified nationwide. He also gave district-wise percentages of total harvest purchased by the Government for 2022 and 2023, noted that 2025 data were not yet available, and said further information on State bank lending to mills and rice distribution would be provided separately once compiled.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF

      AI summary Ravi Karunanayake requested the Deputy Minister to identify the three entities that purchased the largest share of paddy, stating that they accounted for 68 per cent of purchases.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Namal Karunaratne JJB

      AI summary The member stated that annexures tabled in the House contain the requested names and details, including dates of birth to be verified. He confirmed that since the 2021/22 Maha season, paddy has been purchased through five regional Paddy Marketing Board boards, milled by small and medium-scale millers under contract, and distributed as rice through Sathosa. He added that this programme could continue with Government intervention.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF

      AI summary Ravi Karunanayake argued that the Paddy Marketing Board’s limited purchasing, around 3% of Maha season output, prevents the establishment of a fair paddy price and has allowed market distortion by large purchasers. He asked the Deputy Minister to identify the top paddy buyers and proposed using existing bank lending to support about 4,000 youth entrepreneurs, each handling 50,000 kg, as a structural solution. He urged the Government to adopt the “radical change” it has promised and take up this entrepreneurship-based approach.

      Public FinanceAgricultureEmployment Full speech →
    • The Hon. Namal Karunaratne JJB

      AI summary Hon. Namal Karunaratne responded that his position was consistent with that of Lal Kantha and said the Government had begun addressing shortcomings in paddy procurement and storage from the Maha season, with fuller intervention planned for the Yala season. He stated that refurbishment of neglected Paddy Marketing Board stores was about 75% complete, 133 closed BAG stores had been reopened, and more would be opened with a more systematic procurement process and mechanisms for entrepreneur participation. He also said investigations and legal action were underway over alleged thefts and asset destruction at the Paddy Marketing Board under the previous Government, with recoveries being pursued.

      Corruption & Governance ReformAgriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF

      AI summary Ravi Karunanayake argued that Sri Lanka’s high rice prices are driven not only by harvesting, selling, and milling issues, but also by comparatively low paddy yields. He noted that countries such as Cambodia and Thailand achieve around 7,000 kg per hectare while Sri Lanka obtains about 4,500 kg, and asked why farmers cannot be provided with higher-yielding seed paddy.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Namal Karunaratne JJB

      AI summary Hon. Namal Karunaratne argued that Sri Lanka should increase domestic rice production rather than rely on imports, noting that current yields are difficult to achieve but remain below levels in other countries. He outlined the Ministry of Agriculture’s programme to raise yields through soil testing, crop- and soil-specific fertilizer application, quality seed supply, timely cultivation, and adoption of new technology. He stated that these measures are already being implemented and are expected to improve per-acre productivity over the next few seasons.

      Agriculture Full speech →