The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of Opposition
Sajith Premadasa questioned the Deputy Minister on maize farmers’ complaints in Ampara, Monaragala and Anuradhapura that large imports had depressed prices below the announced guaranteed price of about Rs. 140 per kilogram. He said some farmers harvested early and sold green cobs because of the price fall, and compared the reported import volume with previous years, including the fall armyworm period. He asked whether the Government would implement a clear and sustainable plan for the next season to ensure farmers receive the promised price.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Minister, in areas like Ampara, Monaragala and Anuradhapura, farmers say that while you announced a guaranteed price around Rs. 140/kg, imports of nearly 300,000 MT depressed prices to Rs. 115–120. Given the 110-day crop duration, many harvested prematurely at 70–80 days and sold as green cobs due to price drops. In 2020, maize imports were 178,000 MT; even during the fall armyworm years (2018–2019), such import volumes were not seen. Farmers did not receive your promised guaranteed price. Will you institute a clear, sustainable plan for the coming season?
Provenance
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- Hansard, Tuesday, 23 September 2025 ·No. 1758876121024768 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of Opposition. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 23 September 2025. No. 1758876121024768. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/15541