The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, participating in the Adjournment Debate on farmers’ issues, I wish to focus on the North and East, particularly Batticaloa District.

¶ 02 Farmers produce our staple, paddy, and other grains, bolstering the national economy. Yet harvested crops often face delayed pricing and purchasing. If the Government does not fix prices and procure on time, private sector actors buy at low rates, hurting farmers. Price-setting must balance both farmers and consumers.

¶ 03 A critical gap is storage and drying. In Batticaloa and similar areas, insufficient storage forces immediate sale at poor prices. The former PMB warehouse at Theavapuram still has structures and foundations; rehabilitating it would enable local storage. Due to the lack of drying yards, farmers currently dry paddy on concrete and tarred roads; vehicles damage grain, making it unsuitable as seed, and general contamination risks food safety.

¶ 04 Across Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee, the North, and elsewhere, there is a shortage of functional warehouses. Fertilizer and inputs must also reach on time; late application cuts yields. Compensation for losses is slow and rare despite protests. During recent major floods in Batticaloa, Ampara and Trincomalee, paddy was severely affected but compensation has lagged.

¶ 05 Human–elephant conflict is acute in areas such as Vellaveli, Kiran, Vavunativu, Chenkalady, Vakarai (Batticaloa) and in Ampara and Trincomalee. Batticaloa needs 10 wildlife sub-offices but only three exist; staff numbers to repel elephants are inadequate. Electric fences alone are insufficient. I urge the Agriculture Minister to act to protect both farmers and consumers. Thank you.