The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Hon. Chairman, I wish to present constructive proposals which, if accepted, can strengthen our agriculture.

¶ 02 First, Sri Lanka lacks a National Agricultural Policy. Instead of shifting policies, we need a national framework that: - Values farming communities, confers recognition and dignity, and counters neoliberal narratives that demean agriculture. - Optimizes the entire production chain: inputs, production processes, technology, marketing, and both domestic and export markets.

¶ 03 We must modernize: smart agriculture, precision farming, innovation, new technologies and equipment that enhance productivity. Youth are distancing themselves from agriculture; smart, efficient practices can bring them back. Agriculture is indispensable for food security, but multiple challenges exist, notably human–wildlife conflict.

¶ 04 We need a National Land Use Plan—zoning, mapping protected areas, national parks, sanctuaries, settlements, and wildlife corridors. Countries use payments for ecosystem services (e.g., Costa Rica), early warning and monitoring systems, AI (Botswana, India) to minimize wildlife damage, GPS tracking, community participation, compensation and insurance. Beehive and chilli fences (India, Kenya, Tanzania), and eco-friendly electric fencing can help. We must learn from these and adapt.

¶ 05 To those who deride agriculture as a failing sector: learn from the Netherlands. With only 0.1% of the world’s agricultural land, it earns around USD 115 billion annually from agri-exports, over 20% of global vegetable exports—through common policies, land consolidation (Mansholt Plan), quotas, revised fertiliser approaches (e.g., PAS), technological innovation, specialization, value addition, efficient resource management, sustainability, capacity building, education, and market access. We must invest in R&D—e.g., Wageningen University’s work, drone and GPS technologies—achieving higher, better-quality output at lower cost.

¶ 06 You claim farm-gate pricing is cost-reflective. But have you truly accounted for disaster risk? Crop losses are a real cost to farmers. Compensation must be timely and adequate.

¶ 07 Regarding the wildlife census: the Agriculture Ministry alone cannot do this. It needs coordination with Wildlife, Forest, and other agencies. Agriculture lacks the requisite expertise. Past elephant censuses had mixed results; when done properly, they work. If you do a census, do it properly.

¶ 08 On your claim of unprecedented farmer satisfaction this Maha: Is your cost-per-acre formula realistic? Many experts say it’s not—it’s a theoretical construct from air-conditioned rooms, not reflecting ground realities or regional variations.

¶ 09 You claim Rs. 5 billion has been allocated to make Maha paddy purchasing a success.