The Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha - Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, let me begin with a simple analogy. If Sri Lankan politics were like the high jump, our National People’s Power Government has raised the bar very high. We have elevated our political culture substantially — exactly what the people wanted. Yet we see the Opposition in and outside Parliament failing to clear this raised bar; they crawl under it while participating in this Budget debate. I propose that the Opposition engage at the elevated standard the country now expects.

¶ 02 On the much-discussed potato and big onion issue, first I thank the farming community — those who protested and those who did not. Protests draw attention and help us debate and solve issues; those who did not protest also showed trust that this Government would resolve the problem. To all of them, my thanks.

¶ 03 The key point: big onion and potato production had collapsed. With production now picking up, it shows that in agriculture we have taken steps forward. The Department of Agriculture, together with farmers and the Ministry, has intervened to address marketing issues arising from increased big onion production.

¶ 04 Price then becomes the next question. The Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe, is here, as is the Consumer Affairs Minister. Consumers have no issue with big onion or potato prices today. The Government intervened. Sathosa buys big onions at Rs. 145. In the market it’s around Rs. 160–165 per kilo; in Dambulla Economic Centre, Rs. 165–170. We started buying at Rs. 130. Imported big onions cost Rs. 108 CIF; we added Rs. 40 and imposed a Rs. 50 duty — all to protect farmers, and we started direct purchases. But the problem is not fully solved: sometimes middlemen depress farmgate prices. We are fixing that too.

¶ 05 We have already fixed a guaranteed price of Rs. 120 per kilo for Nadu paddy; as a result, fields even in Colombo District are being cultivated. We will also fix a guaranteed price for big onions from the next season: Rs. 150 per kilo at farmgate. But consumers and the Opposition must be ready to support farmers too — to buy big onions at around Rs. 200 per kilo retail. Today it’s about Rs. 180; be prepared for Rs. 200 if we pay Rs. 150 to farmers. Let’s make that commitment.

¶ 06 On potatoes, we buy at about Rs. 220 per kilo. Then retail may be Rs. 240–250. If consumers are ready to pay that, we can sustainably solve this. For those who can’t afford, we will adjust; but we will buy next season from farmers at Rs. 220–240. Purchases have begun, and issues are being resolved. Agriculture always faces “seasonal” problems — weather, pests, international factors — unlike garments. Still, while we implement solutions, no one should resort to lamentation.

¶ 07 Many issues can be resolved by strengthening the public service. For Agriculture to solve farmers’ problems, the Department must be strong. We need a satisfied public service. We have allocated Rs. 1,100 billion to raise public sector salaries; last Budget too we acted, and officers are more content now. Vacancies are another major issue — past regimes weakened and shrank the public service, cut pensions, and stopped recruitment. Hence this Budget proposes recruiting 75,000 to the public service — crucial for agriculture extension, transport, health, and more.

¶ 08 In our Ministry’s domain, we recently appointed 107 Surveyors to the Department of Surveys and 47 GIS/Mapping technologists, to tackle land and farmer documentation bottlenecks. Next, many workers in our agencies are long-term casuals — 8, 10, 12, 15 years — without permanency. We have now decided to regularize 9,800 such workers across institutions. They came to my Ministry to thank us; I told them thanks are not needed — we must get the job done. I submitted a Cabinet Paper a month ago; it was approved, and this Budget carries the proposal forward. Without completing the public service, we cannot serve the people well.

¶ 09 Public servants also lack official housing, vehicles, and facilities; quarters are dilapidated. This Budget allocates funds to provide vehicles and facilities so officers can reach farmers. To a query: I personally need no new vehicle; my Ministry has two, and we provide for officers. MPs asked for permits, but the public is not ready to grant vehicle permits to politicians yet; let’s rebuild the country first.

¶ 10 We have also provided Rs. 10 million each to Opposition MPs from a decentralised fund because a functioning Opposition is necessary for the system.

¶ 11 On human-elephant conflict, we are recruiting 5,000 Civil Security personnel into the Wildlife Department to address it. The Budget is structured to provide practical answers to these issues. Importantly, rulers and people are now in the same boat; we will not grant ourselves privileges the people do not enjoy. We have introduced concessional property loans up to Rs. 5 million for public servants.

¶ 12 Given time constraints, I conclude: this Budget is based on a realistic assessment of the country’s condition and proposes practical solutions. I invite the Opposition, inside and outside, to debate at a higher standard. Thank you.