The Hon. (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna
Hon. (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna responded to earlier remarks on coconut prices, arguing that profitability conditions have changed since earlier periods of very low land lease costs. He stated that the Government is seeking to restore Sri Lanka’s international reputation after a period marked by heavy borrowing and extrajudicial killings, and defended the use of locally produced cashews at the Independence ceremony. He concluded by quoting the Dhammapada on the value of learning and wisdom.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 I will conclude, Hon. Presiding Member. Earlier today my colleague from my district, Hon. Hector Appuhami, spoke about coconuts and their price. Prices fluctuate; previously, land was leased for Rs. 2 per acre, making coconuts profitable at lower prices, but that is no longer the case.
¶ 02 Regarding our country’s reputation, during the era of massive borrowing and extrajudicial killings, we saw how our reputation suffered. As a Government, we are working to restore it. On the matter raised today about cashews consumed at the Independence ceremony—Minister Samantha Vidyaratne ate cashews produced in our country. Criticism on that point is not fair.
¶ 03 Let me conclude by adding a note from the Dhammapada: “A man without learning ages like a strong ox; his flesh grows but his wisdom does not.”
¶ 04 Thank you very much.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Thursday, 6 February 2025 ·No. 1739271735020022 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Prof.) A.H.M.H. Abayarathna. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 6 February 2025. No. 1739271735020022. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/875