The Hon. Namal Karunaratne - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock

Jathika Jana balawegaya· Kurunegala· 3 June 2025 ·Oral question: Oral Question: Kalpitiya Agricultural Flooding (Q.585/2025)

Agriculture

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Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne stated that cultivation in Kalpitiya is being damaged by inundation caused by a high groundwater table, a problem that has occurred recently and is continuing. He said there is no general ex gratia compensation scheme, though six specified crops receive free Government compensation and other farmers may join a contributory insurance scheme through the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board. He also clarified that the 2025 Yala fertilizer subsidy applies only to paddy and additional crops grown in paddy fields, not to Kalpitiya vegetable and fruit cultivations, and noted that a detailed answer was placed in the Library.

Verbatim record (translated)

Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, answering Question 585/2025 on Kalpitiya:

¶ 02 (a) (i), (ii) Yes. Due to the groundwater table being close to the surface, the area gets inundated, damaging vegetable and fruit cultivations; this has occurred recently and continues.

¶ 03 (b) (i) No general ex gratia scheme. Six identified crops receive Government compensation free of charge. For others, a contributory insurance programme via the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board has been introduced; farmers can enroll. (ii) The 2025 Yala fertilizer subsidy programme applies only to paddy and to additional crops in paddy fields. Vegetables and fruits in Kalpitiya are not covered. (iii) Not applicable. (c) Not applicable.

¶ 04 A detailed answer has been placed in the Library.

Provenance

Source: Hansard, Tuesday, 3 June 2025 ·No. 1750149440002739 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Namal Karunaratne - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 3 June 2025. No. 1750149440002739. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/10025