The Hon. B. Ariyawansha

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, the Private Member’s Motion moved by the Hon. Rohana Bandara is important. He spoke at length about rice. We know 22 million people consume rice, as well as vegetables and fruits. When discussing food security, we must also address vegetable farmers—both in the upcountry and low country—who produce under difficulty, protecting crops from pests and wild animals, and facing climatic changes. Yet they sell at very low prices. They transport to economic centers like Manning Market, but receive meagre sums while the middleman takes a big share and the consumer pays high prices. For example, when farmers get Rs. 50 per kilo for bitter gourd, okra, or brinjal, consumers pay around Rs. 150. Large quantities also go to waste. We need a plan.

¶ 02 Regarding fruit cultivation, in Embilipitiya and Godakawela areas of Ratnapura District I represent, we see chemicals like ethyphon used to ripen bananas and wood apple, making consumers ingest residues. I have raised this earlier. Pre-ripening with chemicals causes premature ripening and quick spoilage, leading to wastage. Pay attention to this.

¶ 03 In Embilipitiya, thousands of acres are under banana, but farmers are desperate—ambul bananas sell at Rs. 20-25 per kilo; Kolikuttu around Rs. 100 per kilo. Farmers have stopped harvesting; fruit ripens and rots in the field. The NPP promised many things there before coming to power, but after seven months we have not seen the promises fulfilled. Please establish cold storage facilities and systems to store bananas at low cost temporarily.

¶ 04 You counted monkeys, peacocks, and toque macaques and said results would be released on the 23rd, but we have not seen them. I doubt the accuracy. In my area, in the Velikandagoda intermediate forest, there are 50-60 toque macaques, but people reported figures to the census many times higher. Thus numbers are inflated. We need a plan to protect cultivation from peacocks, macaques, and porcupines. Historically, there were methods. There are farmers’ organizations; provide arms—at least a few firearms per organization—so farmers can protect crops and coconuts and bananas from pests, with proper guidance through farmer organizations.

¶ 05 Thank you.