The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayathissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I thank Hon. Champika Hettiarachchi. A nationally important institution was undermined in recent times without reason; we are now reviving it.

¶ 02 Answers:

¶ 03 1) Products and target groups - Thriposha - Suposha - Calorie Bar

¶ 04 Target groups (Thriposha): - All pregnant mothers. - All lactating mothers (until the child is six months). - Children aged 6–59 months suffering from malnutrition: - Weight-for-age below the –2SD line. - Weight-for-age showing no gain over three consecutive months. - Weight-for-length/height between –2SD and –3SD.

¶ 05 Beneficiaries hospitalized long-term should continue receiving Thriposha.

¶ 06 Suposha and Calorie Bar are market-oriented products introduced recently.

¶ 07 2) Production continues uninterrupted at normal levels.

¶ 08 3) Yes. The main raw materials—maize and soya—face domestic supply constraints in both quantity and required standards. Annual needs are about 18,000 MT of maize and 9,000 MT of soya. Earlier, supply came from Anuradhapura, Monaragala, and Ampara, but production fell due to factors including the chemical fertilizer ban. Quality shortfalls (e.g., aflatoxin risks) also arose.

¶ 09 We plan to work with the Ministry of Agriculture. The Thriposha company aims to offer buy-back guarantees and assistance to farmers to ensure supply, benefitting farmers while addressing nutrition for mothers and children.

¶ 10 4) Sri Lanka Thriposha Ltd. is currently profit-making. In 2023, post-tax profit was Rs. 555 million; Rs. 176 million was paid as dividend to the Treasury.

¶ 11 To ensure nutrition for children and mothers, in addition to maize-based Thriposha, we are testing rice as an alternative raw material for products for children under three. Due to limited maize supply and quality issues, we began rice-based production; initial batches have been distributed in Ratnapura and are under review.

¶ 12 Necessary machinery for rice-based production is being sourced through FAO and Thriposha funds.

¶ 13 Thriposha, begun in 1973 with US assistance, functioned well but was later run down, even marked for sale. It provides jobs, addresses national nutrition needs, and contributes to the Treasury. As it is under the Health Ministry, we are implementing a structured plan to continue both maize- and rice-based products, distributing free to target groups, and expanding Suposha and Calorie Bar commercially, with support from the Education Ministry as well. We will ensure nutritional quality before market release and build Thriposha into a state company that supports nutrition and the Treasury.