The Hon. Sajith Premadasa

¶ 01 I table proposals; accept them if you find them valid, reject if not. You invited Opposition participation; we are engaging constructively.

¶ 02 You should procure at least 7–10% of harvest to truly influence prices, not about 1.3% (40,000 MT) with an expected Rs. 3 billion outlay. Extend beyond paddy to big onion, potato and other crops under a national, targeted plan integrating small, medium and large producers into one framework.

¶ 03 On irrigation: we have a significant irrigation base but still let rainwater flow to the sea. We need modern water management and a national programme to rehabilitate irrigation systems—from village tanks upwards—across central, provincial and departmental structures, energizing a large cadre of officials. If we do this, we can become a “little Netherlands” in agriculture—countering extremist neoliberal trickle-down advocates—and build a proud, export-oriented agri economy while ensuring domestic food security.