The Hon. Nalin Hewage
Hon. Nalin Hewage attributed declines in plantation and agricultural production to earlier policy measures, including the fertilizer ban, and said fertilizer subsidies, including for coconut, have been restored. He stated that a National Plantation Policy is being prepared and outlined a five-year tea strategy targeting production increases from 262 million kg last year to 275 million kg this year and 400 million kg by 2030. He also said support for smallholders will include replanting, fertilizer assistance, improved plucking technologies, and modern equipment.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Member, production declines stem from policy measures taken during that period, including the fertilizer ban, which drove tea and the broader agriculture sector into crisis. We reinstated fertilizer subsidies, including for coconut. We are preparing a National Plantation Policy and have a five-year strategic plan for tea: from 262 million kg last year, our target is 275 million kg this year, and 400 million kg by 2030. For smallholders, our programme includes replanting, fertilizer support, proper plucking technologies, and modern equipment.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Wednesday, 10 September 2025 ·No. 1758017450079419 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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/lk/speeches/10684
Cite as: The Hon. Nalin Hewage. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 10 September 2025. No. 1758017450079419. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/10684