The Hon. Imran Maharoof

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation—one of the key Ministries—at a time when agriculture, the backbone of our economy, faces serious challenges.

¶ 02 The Government that promised to protect farmers by paying higher paddy prices has effectively surrendered to mill owners. Even as the State professes readiness to purchase at good prices, millers go directly to fields to procure and hoard paddy, driving up retail rice prices. Shortages have forced imports from India. A once self-reliant sector has turned import-dependent.

¶ 03 We all witnessed how the collapse of the agriculture sector under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa—especially the fertilizer subsidy debacle under the guise of “organic-only” policy—contributed to the downfall of that Government, even forcing the President to flee the country. Agriculture must be handled with utmost care. I urge the Government and the Minister to prioritize farmers’ needs and implement sound, sustainable policies.