Topic
Agriculture
1,763 speeches · 318 speakers
Party share
By the speaker's party · counts only, no scoring. "Unattributed" = speeches not resolved to an MP.
Most active on this topic
| # | Member | Speeches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. Namal Karunaratne, M.P. JJB | 104 |
| 2 | Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe, M.P. JJB | 93 |
| 3 | Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna, M.P. JJB | 83 |
| 4 | Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe, M.P. JJB | 48 |
| 5 | Hon. Kins Nelson, M.P. SJB | 39 |
| 6 | Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha, M.P. JJB | 37 |
| 7 | Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, M.P. NDF | 32 |
| 8 | Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayatissa, M.P. JJB | 32 |
| 9 | Hon. Sajith Premadasa, M.P. SJB | 32 |
| 10 | Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar, M.P. JJB | 30 |
Speeches
1,763 on this topic- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Namal Karunaratne – Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock AI summary The Deputy Minister described the severe human, environmental and agricultural damage caused by recent flooding, noting losses of life, homes, wildlife, trees and farmland. He commended public officials, representatives and volunteers for working under difficult conditions to restore normalcy, despite limited staffing in the Agriculture Ministry. Referring to a visit to Mannar, he said breached tanks and destroyed bunds had turned fields into waterways, and stated that the Government had intervened quickly to assist recovery. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 19 December 2025 The Hon. Ananda Wijepala – Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs AI summary Minister Ananda Wijepala defended the Government’s disaster response, stating that warnings, evacuations, rescue operations, circulars, and funding were initiated promptly, and rejected Opposition claims that action was delayed. He outlined ongoing relief measures, including restoration of public infrastructure, assessment of damaged homes, Rs. 25,000 cleaning grants, Rs. 50,000 household equipment payments, crop and livelihood compensation mechanisms, and concessional loans for affected businesses. He said relief centres would be closed as quickly as possible, with relocation or resettlement for those unable to return safely, and paid tribute to security forces, public officers, and others who died or served during the disaster response. Debate: Supplementary Estimate – Head 240 – Programme 02 – Cyclone Disaster Relief (Rs. 500 Billion) Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Kins Nelson SJB AI summary Kins Nelson reported that 2,622 milch cows had died in Polonnaruwa and that 1,328 cowsheds had been affected. He requested fair and maximum relief for dairy farmers impacted by these losses. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Kins Nelson SJB AI summary Kins Nelson argued that the Government failed to convene the disaster management mechanisms required under the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Act when the cyclone threat was developing, noting that the relevant committee met only after the calamity. He said Polonnaruwa’s agriculture had suffered severe damage, with over 4,000 hectares of paddy destroyed, and argued that the proposed Rs. 150,000 per hectare compensation was inadequate given farmers’ actual cultivation costs and damage from sand, rocks and debris. He also urged faster and fuller payment of household relief, citing shortfalls in allocations for eligible homes in Polonnaruwa, and called on the Government to honour the President’s stated commitment of Rs. 75,000 per affected household rather than limiting the additional Rs. 50,000 by a later circular. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Thilina Samarakoon JJB AI summary Hon. Thilina Samarakoon described the impact of Cyclone “Ditva” on Anuradhapura District, stating that all 22 Divisional Secretariat Divisions were affected due to flooding linked to major rivers, reservoirs, tanks and irrigation spillovers. He cited district figures including 22,838 affected families, 86 deaths, extensive housing and irrigation damage, and major crop losses, including 9,500 hectares of paddy fully damaged. He said state officials, security forces, volunteer groups, religious leaders and political representatives worked jointly on rescue and protection efforts, and that relief payments and agricultural damage assessments were under way. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth SLMC AI summary Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth thanked ministers, MPs, local authority officials, youths and community leaders involved in relief and clean-up work following the recent disaster, particularly in Kandy District and the Eastern Province. He raised the collapse of buildings at Pottuvil Usmaniya Vidyalaya, noting that seven of ten classrooms serving 237 students had collapsed, and welcomed the Eastern Provincial Education Ministry’s Rs. 1 million allocation for temporary sheds to resume classes. He requested government assessment and reconstruction of structurally unsafe buildings at Pottuvil Al-Aqsa Vidyalaya and Minaul Uloom Vidyalaya, and called for subsidies or assistance for affected fishermen, farmers and livestock breeders. He also urged urgent payment of previously promised Rs. 400,000 compensation to 15 Pottuvil fishermen who lost boats and gear in a mini-cyclone the previous year. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. T.B. Sarath JJB AI summary T.B. Sarath responded to a reference made by Namal Rajapaksa concerning him and the Polonnaruwa District, clarifying the status of reported damage and compensation payments. He said reports covering tens of thousands of hectares had been received, Rs. 3,610 million had already been disbursed, and the remaining payments would be released as reports are finalized, with about Rs. 1.5 million allocated per hectare. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 The Hon. Sunil Biyanwila JJB AI summary Hon. Sunil Biyanwila supported the motion to suspend the sitting and commended the disaster response, particularly the Irrigation Department’s protection of tank systems and the coordination among political authorities, public officials, security forces, volunteers and communities. He said the Government maintained stable prices, delivered relief, restored electricity and water, reopened most schools, and allocated more funds to relocate people from high-risk areas. He also highlighted measures to resume cultivation in the Maha season, including clearing damaged farmlands, and said devolving spending authority to Divisional Secretaries and Grama Niladharis helped ensure transparent, corruption-free relief operations that attracted domestic and international support. Adjournment Debate: Current Situation of the Country After Disaster Caused by Cyclone Ditwah Read →
- 18 December 2025 Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB AI summary The Minister presented the 2023 Annual Report of the State Plantation Corporation of Sri Lanka and moved that it be referred to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Sustainable Resources. The motion was put to the House and agreed to. Papers Tabled: Reports, Supplementary Estimate, Regulations, Orders and Performance Reports Read →
- 5 December 2025 Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna JJB AI summary Moved motions to approve the annual reports of the Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation for 2019 and 2020 under section 23 of the State Agricultural Corporations Act, No. 11 of 1972, including the Auditor-General’s observations. Also moved approval of the 2022/2023 annual report of Kalubowitiyana Tea Factory Limited under section 14 of the Finance Act, No. 38 of 1971. Each report had been considered by the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Plantations and Rural Infrastructure, and all motions were agreed to. Procedural - Bills and Resolutions: Second Reading and Approvals Read →
- 5 December 2025 The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna JJB AI summary K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna moved a Committee Stage amendment to the Appropriation Bill, 2026, relating to Head 337. The amendment seeks to delete specified lines on page 28 in order to transfer the recurrent and capital allocations for the Department of Cinnamon Development to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation, in line with Extraordinary Gazette No. 2458/65 of 18 October 2025. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Continued Budget Debate and Amendments Read →
- 5 December 2025 The Hon. Arjuna Sujeewa Senasinghe, Attorney-at-Law SJB AI summary Hon. Arjuna Sujeewa Senasinghe criticised the Government’s disaster preparedness and response to the cyclone and floods, arguing that credible warnings from the Meteorology Department and international media were available but were not acted upon in time, and that the Emergency and state mobilisation were delayed. He called for a unified, cross-party and expert-led coordination mechanism to manage relief, recovery, agriculture, business losses, and resettlement, including parliamentary sanction for land allocation and immediate support for survivors. He also urged international assistance and debt relief, while stating that Emergency powers should be used to protect people rather than intimidate the public, Opposition, or media. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Budget Debate on Disaster Response and Government Allocations Read →
- 5 December 2025 The Hon. Rohana Bandara AI summary Hon. Rohana Bandara argued that the 2026 Budget debate had become disconnected from the country’s disaster situation and urged the Government to consider converting available allocations into a special disaster relief and reconstruction budget. He called for cross-party cooperation rather than blame, citing lessons from the tsunami and criticizing attempts to politicize disaster preparedness and media reporting. Referring to Anuradhapura, he said over 71,000 acres of cultivation had been affected and requested practical, fair compensation beyond standard crop-loss formulas, along with rapid, universal disbursement of housing relief without burdensome means-testing. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Budget Debate on Disaster Response and Government Allocations Read →
- 5 December 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan SJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan described severe disaster impacts in Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Kandy and plantation areas, citing deaths, missing persons, displaced families in camps, damaged roads, power and water interruptions, and delays in promised relief funds. He urged immediate GN-level assessments, delivery of relief, income support, restoration of infrastructure, and safe resettlement with 10–20 perches of land or government-built housing for families whose homes are destroyed or unsafe. He also called for compensation and concessional support for devastated vegetable farmers, urgent rehabilitation of the upcountry railway to restore tourism access to Ella and Badulla, and possible Indian assistance for rail repairs. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Budget Debate on Disaster Response and Government Allocations Read →
- 5 December 2025 The Hon. Ananda Wijepala - Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs JJB AI summary Minister Ananda Wijepala said the Government acted on Met Department warnings from 25 December by activating state institutions, evacuations, reservoir management, and tri-forces deployments, while accusing some Opposition Members of spreading disinformation during the disaster. He reported that more than 410,000 people were accommodated in 1,433 safety centres, Rs. 10 billion had been sent to District Secretaries, and returning families would receive Rs. 25,000 for essential household needs. He added that assessments of house, crop, business and cultivation losses were underway, compensation mechanisms were being prepared, and resettlement planning had begun for people in unsafe locations, while thanking officials and security forces, including personnel who died during rescue operations. Debate - Appropriation Bill 2026 Committee Stage: Budget Debate on Disaster Response and Government Allocations Read →
- 5 December 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) L.M. Abeywickrama JJB AI summary Prof. L.M. Abeywickrama sought leave to present the Sri Lanka Institute of Agriculture (Incorporation) Bill. The Bill aims to incorporate the Sri Lanka Institute of Agriculture. Papers - Sri Lanka Institute of Agriculture (Incorporation) Bill Presented Read →
- 5 December 2025 The Hon. Namal Karunaratne - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne tabled a response detailing Rs. 23,015.5 million in loans and allocations obtained from banks, the Farmers’ Trust Fund and the Treasury for paddy-related activities from 2020 to 2025. For 2025, he stated that the Paddy Marketing Board expects to purchase 48,000 metric tons of paddy with Rs. 6,000 million allocated, while concessionary Treasury loans are available to small and medium mill owners. He said PMB stocks are partly kept as a buffer and partly milled and distributed through Lanka Sathosa and cooperatives, but there is no plan for a joint public-private integrated purchase mechanism because the Government’s objective is to maintain buffer stocks and ensure fair prices for farmers. Oral Questions - Paddy Marketing Board and Divisional Secretaries Divisions (Q.1349/2025) Read →
- 5 December 2025 The Hon. Darmapriya Wijesinghe (on behalf of the Hon. Upul Kithsiri) JJB AI summary Darmapriya Wijesinghe, on behalf of Upul Kithsiri, asked the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Lands for details on Paddy Marketing Board funding and procurement. The question sought year-by-year allocations for purchasing paddy from 2020 to 2024, and the expected quantity of paddy to be purchased in 2025 along with the funds to be allocated for that purpose. Oral Questions - Paddy Marketing Board and Divisional Secretaries Divisions (Q.1349/2025) Read →
- 3 December 2025 The Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe SLMC AI summary Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe highlighted economic hardship among farmers and fishermen in Ampara, citing flood damage to paddy cultivation on 9,200 hectares completely, 15,200 hectares partially, and a further 1,400 hectares affected by crop destruction. He requested the Ministry of Agriculture to arrange appropriate compensation. He also raised the lack of electricity in his areas, noting that some localities receive only about one hour of power per day, and urged the Minister of Power to expedite restoration and provision of electricity facilities. Debate: Continued Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Expenditure Heads - Multiple Speakers) Read →
- 3 December 2025 The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB AI summary Hon. Bimal Rathnayake outlined government relief and recovery measures following severe weather in the Northern and other affected provinces, including inspections of Delft–Nainativu ferry boats, support to District Secretaries, and emergency assistance to stranded communities. He said damaged paddy lands in Mannar could be re-seeded early in the Maha season with Agriculture Ministry support, and that a Bailey bridge was being installed at Nayaru with a target completion date of 15 December. He announced eased emergency spending procedures, including Rs. 50,000 advances for Grama Niladharis and up to Rs. 5 million cash authority for Divisional Secretaries, and noted that Rs. 25,000 payments for schoolchildren and household cleaning had begun in several districts with funds sent to affected Northern and Eastern districts. Debate: Continued Committee Stage of Appropriation Bill 2026 (Ministry Expenditure Heads - Multiple Speakers) Read →