The Hon. Hesha Withanage Ankumbura Arachchi
Hon. Hesha Withanage Ankumbura Arachchi questioned the Minister on the decline in tea production from around 340 million kg in 2013–2014 to about 260 million kg, attributing it largely to past fertilizer policy and reduced yields. He argued that the Rs. 4,000 fertilizer subsidy per bag is insufficient, noted the closure of over 200 tea factories, and asked what concrete plan exists to prevent smallholders, particularly in Ratnapura, from abandoning the tea industry.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Minister, tea production has dropped from about 340 million kg (2013–2014) to around 260 million kg now. The main reason was the wrong fertilizer decision, causing yield decline. A Rs. 4,000 subsidy per bag is insufficient. Many factories—over 200—have closed. In Ratnapura, which I represent and which has many smallholders, people are abandoning tea. Do you have a concrete plan to prevent smallholders from leaving the industry?
Provenance
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- Hansard, Wednesday, 10 September 2025 ·No. 1758017450079419 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Hesha Withanage Ankumbura Arachchi. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 10 September 2025. No. 1758017450079419. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/10683