The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe - Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, I must correct misstatements made using Parliament. The Government has paid due attention to the issues of potato and onion farmers. On 25th August, a duty was imposed on potatoes and onions with effect from midnight that day. The Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute calculated production costs, and a purchase mechanism was set—LKR 130 per kilo for onions via both the private sector and Sathosa.

¶ 02 Accordingly, the duty was raised from Rs. 10 to Rs. 50, with mechanisms to implement the decision. Market prices fluctuated thereafter due to weather. The Government has closely monitored the situation over the past month and a half. To prevent recurrence next year, we are making long-term arrangements: storage facilities and a purchasing programme, for which Rs. 1,000 million has been allocated in the Budget. Today onion retails around Rs. 160–165 per kilo and potatoes Rs. 200–220. While not all problems are solved, the Government has intervened and is preparing a long-term solution, including setting pre-announced farm-gate prices reflecting production costs plus a margin, and establishing a Government purchasing process.