The Hon. Sudath Balagalla

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I thank the Opposition Hon. Member for bringing this Motion. Farmers need insurance not only for life. Historically, the protection for traditional seeds was lost, pushing seed prices—e.g., potatoes in Nuwara Eliya, Welimada—very high. Farmers need seed insurance too. Agriculture relies on four pillars: seed, water, land, and a fair price for the harvest. All four protections diminished over time.

¶ 02 Even where farmers have land, is it protected up to harvest? For example, in Mahiyanganaya-Ulhitiya, floods caused massive soil erosion; lands were unprotected. There was no insurance or protection. Are farmers assured water? Only two months ago we laid the foundation for the Badulu Oya dam; until then about 1,750 acres could not be cultivated. Market protection also failed, leading to onions and potatoes rotting or being dumped.

¶ 03 While MPs previously secured lavish “insurance” for themselves, we cut down state insurance benefits to reduce waste. Farmers genuinely need insurance—for crop damage, for life and limb, against elephant attacks and other hazards. For 76 years many problems remained unresolved. We are not afraid—we will act. Many of us know the field—paddy, canals, tanks—through lived experience. Therefore, we can design a solid programme to secure fundamental needs and provide both crop and life insurance for farmers. Thank you.