The Hon. Namal Karunaratne – Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock

¶ 01 [4.35 p.m.]

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, let me briefly respond to issues raised by Hon. Namal Rajapaksa and Hon. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, among others.

¶ 03 First, on fertilizer allocations appearing lower this year: past years included large sums for servicing fertilizer-related loans—e.g., Rs. 17,554 million in 2023 in loan and interest payments—making totals look higher. Those obligations continued in 2024 as well. Hence, headline figures can mislead.

¶ 04 Second, on the Rs. 65/kg rice import duty: this was not newly imposed by us; it pre-existed and we have maintained it. On the brief reduction to Rs. 2 earlier by the previous administration, we publicly warned—standing with farmers in Mahiyanganaya—that it was done to clear rice stuck in transit and would depress farmgate prices; indeed, it lasted less than a week before being restored. We will not allow such manipulations, akin to past sugar and onion duty scams.

¶ 05 On claims that rice was Rs. 170 per kg when we took office: there has been a controlled price regime—Nadu at Rs. 220 which was adjusted to Rs. 230. Assertions beyond that are inaccurate.

¶ 06 On the paddy guaranteed price: it was not made in air-conditioned rooms. Every year, production costs are computed by Government, and independently by academia and farmer organizations. Senior Prof. Buddhi Marambe’s estimates closely align with official figures, differing only marginally. Multiple institutions, together with field experience, informed the final determination.

¶ 07 Our programme—under Hon. Lal Kantha and Deputy Minister Hon. Susil Ranasinghe—is coherent. The Ministry Secretary, Additional Secretaries, Commissioners, DGs, Chairs and Heads of Agencies are working diligently toward targets.

¶ 08 Practically, we have halted two chronic triggers for farmer street protests: unfair paddy prices and non-payment of dues. Today, farmers are receiving around Rs. 130–140 per kg for paddy due to our interventions. We have revived the Paddy Marketing Board; its Chair is here, leading with a lean staff. The familiar slogan “Do not sell or close PMB; don’t give it to vultures; make it active; buy paddy” is now being answered in practice.

¶ 09 We also cleared historic arrears: last Yala’s pending crop insurance and procurement dues—e.g., Rs. 1,420 million in insurance owed by the past administration—have been paid. For the current Maha, before season’s end we disbursed Rs. 952 million in compensation—an unprecedented early payment. Protests demanding compensation that once encircled this Ministry are no longer needed.

¶ 10 We prevented asset stripping: nearly 28,802 acres under state plantation corporations, including 13,000 acres of coconut and 59,614 head of livestock (cattle, buffalo, goats, pigs and poultry), were earmarked for sale; we have stopped that. At MILCO, Rs. 540 million was owed to farmers; it is now paid. Of Rs. 4,280 million in loans, Rs. 1,690 million has already been serviced; MILCO is moving from losses to profitability.

¶ 11 On the “Rs. 3 million per acre per year” target raised by Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha: this is an average target across systems, not a literal figure for every acre in every year. Just as we set an average of 80 coconuts per tree—some trees yield 40–50, others 100+—the mid-value is our benchmark. We will reach it by: - Soil testing and precise N–P–K application for crop and soil type. - Technology adoption and best agronomy. - Supplying high-quality seed. - Integrating productivity measures across agencies—Agriculture Dept., Agrarian Development, Mahaweli, Irrigation and others—through the “One Cluster – One Farm” style programmes to intensify output per unit area, including in dairy and livestock.

¶ 12 We face the challenge of utilizing significant allocations within 8–9 months; we have planned meticulously to execute with proper management. We invite all farmers to share proposals and critiques; we are ready to listen and work together to advance Sri Lankan agriculture.

¶ 13 Thank you.