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Sri Lanka
10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Sitting of Thursday, 5 March 2026

10th Parliament· 19 debates· 226 speeches· 65 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 23375 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard

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Order of business

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

  5. 5 Oral question Oral Question: Export of Minor Export Crops Since 2015 (Q.2) 6 speeches
    • The Hon. B. Ariyawansha SJB

      AI summary Hon. B. Ariyawansha asked the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation to identify Sri Lanka’s main minor export crops and provide annual export revenue from 2015 to date for each year. He also requested details on measures taken to further promote exports of these crops, or an explanation if the information could not be provided.

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

      AI summary The Deputy Minister, answering on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, listed Sri Lanka’s main export agricultural crops, including spices, coffee, cocoa, arecanut, betel, kithul products, and related value-added oils and oleoresins. He stated that crop-wise export revenue data for 2015–2025, including detailed cinnamon figures, had been provided in annexes. He outlined measures to improve export performance, including GAP and GMP certification, post-harvest and value-addition support, organic and fair-trade certification assistance, productivity improvements, farmer training, buyer linkages, export-oriented agriculture villages, cultivation expansion, and research programmes.

      Agriculture Full speech →
    • The Hon. B. Ariyawansha SJB

      AI summary Hon. B. Ariyawansha raised concerns about the pepper sector’s export potential and the low prices received by farmers for “light berries,” which he said make up about half the harvest and are currently used for oil production in India. He asked whether the Government has a programme to establish a pepper oil production plant in Sri Lanka and what action will be taken to investigate and address a leaf-yellowing disease affecting pepper vines.

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

      AI summary Acknowledging concerns raised, the Deputy Minister said Sri Lanka’s minor export crops, including pepper, have strong premium-market demand but had faced reputational damage from past malpractices involving re-exports labelled as Sri Lankan. He said corrective action is being taken with the Trade Ministry and the Food Security Committee, while the Government is distributing planting material, providing inputs, and expanding export villages. He also noted proposals to promote value addition, including a pepper oil plant, and to address crop disease through research and management programmes.

      AgriculturePublic Finance Full speech →
    • The Hon. B. Ariyawansha SJB

      AI summary Hon. B. Ariyawansha said pepper growers in areas such as Matale had suffered from a poor harvest the previous year and that advice from the Export Agriculture Department was not effectively reaching villages. Noting that a new harvest was expected around the end of April, he asked whether the Government would implement a programme to secure maximum export revenue and ensure a fair price for farmers.

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

      AI summary Yields had previously fallen due to environmental and climatic factors, but production is now improving. The Deputy Minister said the Government would support cultivation through inputs and technology while intervening in purchasing prices and marketing to protect farmers. He also noted that export earnings in 2025 had increased compared with earlier years and undertook to address the concerns raised.

      Agriculture Full speech →