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- 13 November 2025 The Hon. Rathna Gamage - Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources JJB AI summary Rathna Gamage, replying on behalf of the Minister, said fisheries are regulated under existing Acts and 104 regulations, with 17 licensed fishing methods permitted, while unlicensed and destructive practices remain illegal across all fisheries districts, including Mullaitivu and Mannar. He stated that Cabinet has approved a new Bill to replace the current fisheries law and that recruitment of departmental officers, joint enforcement by the Navy, Coast Guard and Police, and measures against blast fishing are being pursued. He said illegal methods harm fish quality, ecosystems and livelihoods, but rejected claims of inadequate enforcement, citing ongoing patrols, raids, prosecutions and inter-agency coordination meetings to strengthen district-level countermeasures. Oral Question: Curbing Illegal Fishing in Mullaitivu and Mannar Districts (1352/2025) Read →
- 13 November 2025 The Hon. Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran JJB AI summary Asked the Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources whether the Government is aware of illegal fishing in Mullaitivu and Mannar using prohibited methods and unauthorized vessels, and what measures have been taken or planned to curb it. He requested details on future surveillance, enforcement and operational strengthening, as well as the impact on fish quality and fishermen’s economies. He also asked what action is being taken to protect affected fishermen’s livelihoods, why the law has not been adequately enforced, and whether coordination is maintained among the Ministry, Navy and Police. Oral Question: Curbing Illegal Fishing in Mullaitivu and Mannar Districts (1352/2025) Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. Hector Appuhamy SJB AI summary Hon. Hector Appuhamy criticized the 2026 Budget debate for focusing on allocations rather than implementation and outcomes, arguing that poverty now affects middle-class public servants as well as rural communities. He called for targeted relief for collapsed SMEs, including interest reductions and support for assets auctioned by banks, and urged the Government to suspend the proposed SVAT change unless timely refund mechanisms are guaranteed for exporters and import-dependent SMEs. He also proposed that the Government absorb the cost of purchasing smallholder crops such as potatoes and onions at fair prices instead of passing costs to consumers, and raised concerns that politicization and intimidation in public administration are weakening state functions. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. Kins Nelson SJB AI summary Kins Nelson reviewed implementation of the 2025 Budget and argued that several allocations had shown limited or no progress, citing youth agriculture loans, sports funding, and a waste removal machine for Anuradhapura. He criticized the absence of clear Budget proposals for key Ministries, especially Defence, and raised concerns over national security and a recent US travel advisory. He called for greater attention to the human-elephant conflict, noting deaths and limited progress on fence maintenance, and questioned delays and adequacy in agricultural support, including fertilizer subsidies and market problems faced by onion farmers. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. Fasmin Sharif JJB AI summary Hon. Fasmin Sharif supported the Budget, highlighting proposed measures for plantation workers, including a Rs. 200 government grant alongside wage increases that he said would raise daily earnings to Rs. 1,750, and allocations for health, tourism development in Nuwara Eliya, Digana and Ambuluwa, and Rs. 400 million for Gampola Hospital. He argued the Budget was inclusive and aimed at economic recovery, debt management, inflation control, education and technology development, while crediting the Government for projects in Gampola. He also commended Anoma Dilrukshi Jayaratne for returning a valuable property to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, rejected allegations that the Government was racist or neglecting Muslim MPs, and defended NPP members against Opposition claims of corruption. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. Aravinda Senarath JJB AI summary Aravinda Senarath said the Government had arranged relief measures including a Rs. 14,000 fertilizer subsidy for inter-season cultivation, farmer compensation payments including arrears, Rs. 15,000 per hectare in additional cultivation assistance, a fuel subsidy for fishers, and expanded access to the President’s Fund at village level. He criticized the Opposition over past handling of compensation and welfare funds, and stated that the public servants’ basic salary would rise from Rs. 24,250 to Rs. 40,000, with 30 percent of the increase paid from January 2026. He argued that the 2025 relief measures and the 2026 Budget would support development and change Sri Lanka’s political and economic trajectory. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nihal Abeysinghe JJB AI summary (Dr.) Nihal Abeysinghe clarified that the Social Security Contribution Levy on vehicles is not a new tax but an existing levy to be collected properly at import, manufacture or sale. He detailed Budget allocations for fisheries infrastructure, harbour rehabilitation, fisher safety technology, fish catch improvement, satellite-based fishing ground identification, and inland fisheries, while rejecting Opposition claims of poor implementation of the 2025 Budget. He said most planned projects in the Horana DS Division would be completed by year-end and argued that the Government had stabilized the economy, advanced debt restructuring, expanded welfare and restarted development after taking office during an economic crisis. He cited acknowledgements by Opposition MPs on economic stabilization, exports, fiscal improvements and anti-corruption efforts to support the Government’s 2026 Budget direction. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmali Gunasingha JJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Samanmali Gunasingha defended the 2026 Budget under the Government’s “Prosperous Country – Beautiful Life” policy framework, arguing that claims of no allocations for fisheries or new taxes were inaccurate. She cited allocations for agriculture and fisheries and economic indicators including projected growth, reserves, exports, remittances, tourism earnings, revenue, and the primary balance as evidence of improved economic management. She also highlighted planned public sector recruitment, payment of delayed pensions, improved labour indicators, and defended the proposed Rs. 400 plantation worker wage increase, with contributions from both companies and Government, as support owed to Sri Lankan workers. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi SJB AI summary Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi criticised the Government’s handling of the cost of living, agriculture, fisheries, education and health, arguing that campaign promises on tax relief, school supplies, vehicles and support for farmers and fishers had not been fulfilled. He said prices of essentials, utilities, transport, medicines and school materials had risen, while hospitals lacked medicines and patients were being made to buy drugs and surgical items privately. He contrasted this with programmes under the previous Government and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, including school buses, smart classrooms, free cardiac surgery, cancer drugs and reduced medicine prices, and asked whether the Government would restore or allow those initiatives to continue. He also alleged that no meaningful relief had been allocated for fishers despite promises, and claimed that shortages and imports of items such as salt, rice, onions and potatoes benefited private interests through commissions. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. Manjula Suraweera Arachchi JJB AI summary Manjula Suraweera Arachchi highlighted urgent price difficulties faced by potato, onion and upcountry vegetable farmers in Nuwara Eliya, stating that the Agriculture, Industries and Trade Ministers were coordinating measures to stabilize prices from the next season. Supporting the 80th Budget, he said it advances economic democracy and allocates funds for plantation worker wage increases, including a Rs. 200 daily attendance incentive from the Treasury, as well as estate housing. He also cited allocations for rural roads, drinking water expansion in Nuwara Eliya, and the modernization of Hatton, while criticizing Opposition members who oppose the Budget and its support for estate workers. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. Namal Karunaratne JJB AI summary Namal Karunaratne defended the Budget as one that gives reasonable expectations to the public while rejecting what he described as bad-faith criticism from the Opposition. He outlined Government measures to address agricultural market problems following increased production, including procurement of big onions and potatoes, a Rs. 1,000 million allocation for maize, potato and onion market issues, and forthcoming guaranteed prices with more systematic purchasing. He said the Government would also reduce production costs and improve yields, and defended support for plantation workers’ wage increases as assistance to low-income workers. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Elayathamby Srinath ITAK AI summary Hon. Elayathamby Srinath welcomed measures in the Budget to strengthen the economy, support war-displaced housing, increase estate worker wages, and fund development projects in Batticaloa, including bridges, fisheries harbour development, irrigation, and universities. He urged additional attention to underdeveloped areas such as Padavan-karai, calling for improved hospitals, roads, bridges, fisheries harbours, and the release of tanks held by state agencies to expand irrigation. He raised unresolved grazing land disputes in Mayilathamadu, Mathavanai and other areas, criticised the lack of Budget measures for herders, and demanded stronger action on human-elephant conflict, including elephant fencing, Wildlife Department sub-offices, and officer appointments. He also requested that land currently occupied by the prison adjoining Batticaloa Teaching Hospital be transferred to the hospital to address its space shortage and support planned health-sector upgrades. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) Sena Nanayakkara JJB AI summary Prof. Sena Nanayakkara supported the Appropriation Bill, describing it as the Government’s second Budget and urging Parliament and the Opposition to engage in more substantive debate rather than partisan heckling. He highlighted the Budget’s focus on broad-based benefits, productive economic development, and rural poverty eradication, arguing that it gives particular support to village communities. He cited irrigation and agricultural investments, including rehabilitation of 307 tanks in Anuradhapura District, allocations for irrigation development, canal and tank rehabilitation, and the restarted Lower Malwathu Oya project, as measures intended to improve cultivation, drinking water supply, flood control, jobs, and incomes. Appropriation Bill, 2026 - Second Reading Debate Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. Namal Karunaratne - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock JJB AI summary On behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, Namal Karunaratne tabled a written answer providing the Government’s minimum guaranteed paddy prices by season and variety from 2014/15 Maha to 2023 Yala. The response stated that the Paddy Marketing Board has 18 lorries and no rice mills, and that when milling is required it is done through small and medium-scale private millers. Oral Question 1312/2025: Minimum Fixed Price for Paddy from 2015-2023 Read →
- 12 November 2025 The Hon. Darmapriya Wijesinghe (on behalf of the Hon. Sudath Balagalla) JJB AI summary Darmapriya Wijesinghe, on behalf of Sudath Balagalla, asked for details of the minimum fixed price for paddy from 2015 to 2023 under Question 1312/2025. The question sought year-by-year information on the government’s guaranteed or fixed purchase prices for paddy during that period. Oral Question 1312/2025: Minimum Fixed Price for Paddy from 2015-2023 Read →
- 11 November 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Ramanathan Archchuna Independent Group 17 - Jaffna AI summary Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna supported the Adjournment Motion concerning the cessation of issuing driving licences to foreign tourists, noting the importance of tourism income, particularly from the European Union. He then raised allegations of corruption in the Agriculture Sector Modernization Project, citing World Bank and EU funding from 2019 to 2025 and claiming that Rs. 20 million of EU funds had been spent on painting a rented building, naming individuals he said were connected to the matter. Adjournment: Termination of Driving Licences for Foreign Tourists (Three-wheelers) Read →
- 11 November 2025 The Hon. Kanthasamy Prabu JJB AI summary Hon. Kanthasamy Prabu defended the government’s budgetary and economic management, contrasting it with previous budgets which he said contributed to bankruptcy, corruption and the “queue era.” He said the current administration had improved transparency, controlled expenditure, strengthened revenue institutions, restored foreign confidence, increased tourism and investment, and advanced anti-corruption action. He highlighted Batticaloa District development, stating that most 2025 projects were completed and noting 2026 allocations for the Mundeni Aru irrigation scheme, the Ponnudaisenai–Kiran bridge studies, Valaichchenai harbour upgrades, and measures addressing human–elephant conflict. He also requested the release of the Thandiyadi Heroes’ Resting Place for public remembrance during the Tamil month of Karthigai. Debate: Second Reading of 2026 Budget Bill (Day 3, Afternoon/Evening) Read →
- 11 November 2025 The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera SJB AI summary Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera argued that many 2025 Budget proposals and capital allocations had not been implemented and urged the Government to ensure that the 2026 Budget’s development measures are actually delivered. He rejected claims that the Government inherited an unresolved crisis, citing the previous administration’s restoration of fuel, gas and power supplies and improved reserves, and said the Budget lacks concrete delivery on promises such as VAT relief, education funding, and agricultural revival. He criticized inadequate planning for potato and onion farmers, called for timely import controls and fair pricing, and urged fertilizer and input tax relief to support tea smallholders. He also questioned the practicality of proposed estate wage increases and attendance allowances, asking the Government to negotiate an enforceable framework with plantation companies. Debate: Second Reading of 2026 Budget Bill (Day 3, Afternoon/Evening) Read →
- 11 November 2025 The Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha - Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation JJB AI summary Minister K.D. Lal Kantha said the Government had intervened to address marketing and pricing problems arising from increased potato and big onion production, including Sathosa purchases, import duties, and plans to set next season farmgate guaranteed prices of Rs. 150 per kilo for big onions and Rs. 220–240 for potatoes. He argued that consumer prices may need to reflect these farmer support prices, while targeted adjustments would be needed for those unable to afford them. He also linked agricultural problem-solving to strengthening the public service, citing salary increases, proposed recruitment of 75,000 public servants, recent appointments in surveying and GIS, and a Cabinet-approved plan to regularize 9,800 long-term casual workers in ministry institutions. Debate: Second Reading of 2026 Budget Bill (Day 3, Afternoon/Evening) Read →
- 11 November 2025 Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Hon. Namal Rajapaksa criticised the Budget as overly long and largely undelivered from the previous year, arguing that it imposes regressive taxation on poorer citizens and small businesses while giving relief to wealthier interests. He questioned the Government’s claimed fiscal surplus, asking why it was not being used for farmers, fishers, hospitals, electricity relief, fertilizer, and MSME support, and criticised the lowering of VAT/SSCL registration thresholds and proposed vehicle purchases. He also accused the Government of previously opposing infrastructure projects such as expressways, Marine Drive and Port City, while now adopting similar policies, and called on it to deliver results, protect people, honour promises, and address IMF-related taxation concerns. Debate: Second Reading of 2026 Budget Bill (Day 3, Afternoon/Evening) Read →