The Hon. Ismail Muththu Mohamed

¶ 01 Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim. Hon. Presiding Member, I am pleased to participate in today’s Committee Stage debate on the budgetary allocations for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation.

¶ 02 Our region is undergoing many hardships and is pleading with this Ministry for various needs. Agriculture is one of the main sectors of our country. Our region is facing numerous problems and challenges in agriculture. If agriculture is not developed there, people’s livelihoods will be affected. In Tamil we say, “When you go to sell salt, it rains; when you go to sell flour, the wind blows.” That is the state of our farmers. Both circumstances operate against their livelihoods.

¶ 03 Moreover, farmers are now in the unfortunate position of avoiding agriculture due to the hardships they face. They also lack proper facilities to market their produce. If Vavuniya farmers want to sell their paddy to the Paddy Marketing Board, they must travel about 50 kilometres, creating additional costs. They also lack the opportunity to sell paddy at the guaranteed price, as purchases are often made only after harvest.

¶ 04 Hon. Minister, this situation must change.

¶ 05 Further, due to rising production costs, delays in accessing modern seed varieties, and the increased prices of weedicides, pesticides and fertilizer, farmers may turn away from agriculture. Once, Vavuniya was leading in black gram cultivation. This year, farmers are so disheartened that they could hardly cultivate black gram at all. The reason is that last year’s floods devastated black gram cultivators, yet they received neither compensation nor any kind of subsidy for their losses.

¶ 06 Next, on irrigation. The districts of Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu are drought-prone. Unless the tanks there are rehabilitated, farmers cannot carry on their occupations. In Mannar, Velankulam; in Vavuniya, Katukarai Kulam, Agathimurippu Kulam, Viyayadi Kulam, Pavarkulam, Eerapperiyakulam and Ranai Illuppaikulam need development. The Government has a responsibility to rehabilitate these tanks.

¶ 07 There are about 800 tanks in Vavuniya District; only two or three fall under major irrigation schemes, with the rest being minor tanks. Among these, about 180 tanks have been abandoned without rehabilitation.

¶ 08 During the years of displacement, these tanks and adjoining areas became forested. Consequently, through special gazettes, the Forest Department and the Department of Wildlife Conservation have taken them over. Because these tanks were not rehabilitated, farmers in the area are landless and have settled with great difficulty on small patches of two to three acres, with no facilities for highland or chena cultivation. Therefore, the Government should pay attention, conduct land kachcheries, and allocate land to these farmers.

¶ 09 In the area under the Vavuniya Pampaimadu Divisional Agrarian Service Centre, there are two small tanks with about 250 metres between their bunds: Iluppaikulam and Velappar Puliyankulam. If these two tanks are linked, an additional 50 acres could be brought under cultivation, freshwater fishery could be developed, and 100–150 families could earn livelihoods. I request attention to this.

¶ 10 The long-standing problem in Vavuniya District is the land issue. Many attempts were made to resolve it. Now, most of the time in District Development Committee meetings is spent on this. During Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe’s administration, Co-Chairmen Hon. Dileepan and Hon. Kader Masthan took initiatives, yet there has been no benefit. At present, the Hon. Upali Samarasinghe, as our District Development Committee Chairman, along with Hon. Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran and Hon. Sellathambi Thilakanathan, are engaged in efforts, but there seems to be no way to resolve it.

¶ 11 Like a beggar’s sore, this problem keeps festering. We doubt whether successive Governments intend to give land rights to our people, who are the original inhabitants of this country. If they cannot get land here, can they acquire land in another country or farm in the sea?

¶ 12 Hon. Minister, you are from Anuradhapura. You know well our district’s issues, climate and resources. Therefore, please conduct land kachcheries and provide land to landless farmers. This situation arose due to displacement. People did not leave voluntarily; they were forcibly evicted within an hour, and only after 20–25 years could they return. Thus, lands appear in small fragments. Lands that once grew black gram, paddy, chickpea and beans have today been taken over by the Forest Department.

¶ 13 All powers to allocate land lie with the relevant Divisional Secretaries. However, the Forest Department has filed cases against Divisional Secretaries for alleged encroachments on those very lands. An anomalous administration is underway. Even when recommendations on lands are sent from our area committees to the district and provincial development committees, approvals are denied.

¶ 14 Therefore, with special concern, I request that the Governor of the Northern Province, the Government Agent and Divisional Secretaries be empowered as a committee to decide these matters. They know how to release lands, to whom and how it should be done. Please take this into consideration.

¶ 15 Next, on livestock. We have many livestock in our area but insufficient grazing land. There are lands suitable for grazing, but the Forest Department does not release them. I request attention. To encourage livestock farmers and dairy producers, please ensure a guaranteed price for milk and establish milk collection centres. We are spending large sums importing milk powder. Please take care of this.

¶ 16 Another issue: at Sobal Puliyankulam, there is a tank with about 150 acres of paddy fields below it. Nearby stands the Vavuniya University. About 100 metres away, there is a large roadside garbage mound. Wastewater from that dump flows through the university premises into the tank, polluting it and harming farmers. Kindly look into this garbage dump matter as well. I take my leave. Thank you.