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- 10 September 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Sellaththamby Thilakanathan JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Sellaththamby Thilakanathan outlined government support for agriculture in the North and East, citing increased fertilizer subsidies, assistance for subsidiary crops, and allocations for irrigation and tank rehabilitation in Mullaitivu. He said abandoned wartime lands and tanks are being revived, including work on the Niththakai command area and proposed canal rehabilitation at Muththaiyankattu following a request to the President. He also noted increases in milk purchase prices to support livestock farmers and reduce dairy imports, and said damaged paddy storage facilities in the North are being refurbished to support procurement and storage. Adjournment Debate: Fair Guaranteed Price for Paddy Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB AI summary Nalin Bandara Jayamaha argued that the Government failed to secure fair paddy prices and that the Paddy Marketing Board’s procurement and milling plan did not deliver the promised low-priced rice supply, leaving stocks insufficient for national needs. He urged an immediate assessment of rice varieties and the importation of Samba to prevent further price increases, while criticizing the allocation of PMB milling work to a politically connected large operator instead of small and medium millers. He also called for an urgent mechanism to purchase and process burnt sugarcane at Sevanagala, saying farmers should be protected while any arsonists are investigated and punished. Adjournment Debate: Fair Guaranteed Price for Paddy Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara SJB AI summary R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara argued that traditional land rights of poor farmers should be restored rather than curtailed on the basis of court cases or agency concerns. He contrasted current decisions with past good governance and UNP policies, stating that released lands had enabled farmers to prosper, while many now struggle to repay loans. He urged authorities to assess conditions on the ground, protect the environment, and support onion farmers to rebuild livelihoods and improve domestic production. Adjournment Debate: Fair Guaranteed Price for Paddy Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara SJB AI summary R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara expressed support for the decision under discussion, stating that its purpose should be to protect farmers. Adjournment Debate: Fair Guaranteed Price for Paddy Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha - Minister of Agriculture and Lands JJB AI summary K.D. Lal Kantha, Minister of Agriculture and Lands, stated that if the Monaragala District Coordinating Committee passes a resolution and sends it to the Ministry, approval will be granted. The remark indicates that ministerial action is contingent on a formal DCC resolution. Adjournment Debate: Fair Guaranteed Price for Paddy Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara SJB AI summary R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara argued that farmers have become poorer as agriculture’s GDP share has fallen and production costs have risen, and urged timely payment of fertilizer support funds to farmers’ bank accounts. He said technology adoption and yields remain weak, and highlighted onion production shortfalls, noting large import costs. He requested that traditional chena cultivation lands in Monaragala, including areas such as Kotiyagala, Ethimale and Buttala, be restored to local farmers rather than diverted to a solar project or cattle use, while emphasizing that he was not seeking new forest land. Adjournment Debate: Fair Guaranteed Price for Paddy Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. Namal Karunaratne - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock JJB AI summary Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne outlined government action on paddy purchasing, fertilizer support, and farmer compensation, stating that minimum paddy prices were set on a cost-plus basis and that state stores had been reopened, receiving 59,000 MT in the last Maha and 43,891 MT so far in the current Yala. He said cultivation support had increased from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 50,000 per two hectares, with additional support for intercrops on fallow land, and that these payments were excluded from cost calculations to avoid lowering farmers’ minimum prices. He reported that arrears in compensation had been cleared and payments completed for 70,548 farmers affected in the last Maha, while criticizing previous unpaid dues for onion seed and potato purchases. He said the Government is restoring the Paddy Marketing Board, expanding soil testing, seed production, research, technology use, and livestock development to stabilize food supply, improve market access, reduce food imports, and support exports. Adjournment Debate: Fair Guaranteed Price for Paddy Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. Gnanamuththu Srineshan ITAK AI summary Gnanamuththu Srineshan raised farmers’ issues in the North and East, especially Batticaloa, highlighting delays in government price-setting and paddy procurement that leave farmers vulnerable to low private-sector prices. He called for rehabilitation of storage facilities such as the former PMB warehouse at Theavapuram, more drying yards and functional warehouses, timely delivery of fertilizer and inputs, and faster compensation for flood-related crop losses. He also urged action on human–elephant conflict in Batticaloa, Ampara and Trincomalee, citing inadequate wildlife sub-offices and staff and stating that electric fences alone are insufficient. Adjournment Debate: Fair Guaranteed Price for Paddy Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha - Minister of Agriculture and Lands JJB AI summary Minister K.D. Lal Kantha stated that the Paddy Marketing Board had intervened more effectively in the Yala season through direct purchases and by facilitating bank credit for paddy storage and mill owners. He said the Rs. 120 per kilogram indicative price was based on verified production costs plus a 30 per cent profit margin, not a fixed permanent rate, and that higher prices would apply only if costs rose. He acknowledged logistical constraints, including limited PMB depots, moisture standards, and inadequate dryers, which had allowed some private buyers to pay below Rs. 120 in certain areas. He said the Government intended to rebuild PMB capacity, maintain buffer stocks, and continue support such as timely fertilizer assistance. Adjournment Debate: Fair Guaranteed Price for Paddy Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. K.D. Lal Kantha — Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation AI summary The Minister said the Government intervenes in paddy purchasing through the Paddy Marketing Board and acknowledged that the PMB has not operated at the required scale. He noted that for the 2024–2025 Maha season the PMB began operations but was not able to undertake a large-scale role, and referred to the ongoing 2025 Yala season in the context of current paddy purchasing arrangements. Adjournment Debate: Fair Guaranteed Price for Paddy Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. Sajith Premadasa — Leader of the Opposition AI summary Hon. Sajith Premadasa seconded the Adjournment Motion and argued that Sri Lanka’s paddy sector requires a comprehensive national agricultural plan covering seed, inputs, production, storage, milling and marketing. He called for restoration of recommended fertiliser use, a legally implemented guaranteed paddy price above Rs. 120, support for small and medium millers, expanded certified seed supply, better storage and dryer systems, modern agri-technology, and timely subsidies. He also raised concerns over continued rice imports despite domestic production exceeding stated national need, and urged stronger action on crop insurance, compensation and human–elephant conflict. Adjournment Debate: Fair Guaranteed Price for Paddy Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. Rohana Bandara AI summary Hon. Rohana Bandara moved an Adjournment Motion urging the Government to ensure a fair guaranteed price for paddy, arguing that the controlled price and current purchasing arrangements are not reaching farmers in practice. He cited delayed fertiliser subsidies, higher input costs, inadequate crop-damage compensation, moisture and drying problems after combine harvesting, lack of storage access, and farmers being forced to sell at lower field prices. He proposed a more practical State purchasing mechanism, including field-level purchasing, advance payments, drying support, and timely intervention to balance farmer incomes with consumer rice prices. Adjournment Debate: Fair Guaranteed Price for Paddy Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. K. Kader Masthan SLLP AI summary Hon. K. Kader Masthan raised concerns that Forest Department and Department of Wildlife Conservation restrictions are preventing cultivation on about 60,000 acres of agricultural land in the Vanni District, and requested urgent action to release suitable lands before the coming season. He referred to earlier district and ministerial committee processes and asked that these be expedited or that a new sub-committee be appointed, noting the potential to revive tanks, increase food production, and reduce inflation. He also called for an inquiry into sand mining permits issued by the Forest Department near riverbanks, alleging widening extraction and resource destruction, and requested measures to stop environmental damage while regulating royalties. Ministerial Statement: Private Lands in Vanni Electoral District and Leader of House Announcement Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna JJB AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna addressed fertilizer complaints by stating that beneficiaries will be allowed to use subsidies with multiple suppliers and that QR codes will be introduced next month to improve timely access. He noted rising tea export earnings, citing an increase from USD 331 million to USD 434 million in the first five months compared with the previous year. He also said the Government is acting to bring underutilized estate lands into productive use through investor leases for cultivation and tourism-related rehabilitation, while warning that idle lands may face interim levies or further government action. Oral Question: Tea Smallholder Contribution to Production (Q.1/2024) Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. Hesha Withanage Ankumbura Arachchi SJB AI summary Hon. Hesha Withanage Ankumbura Arachchi raised concerns about the tea sector, noting its major contribution to export earnings and arguing that targeted interventions could further expand it. He asked the authorities to address growers’ complaints about fertilizer quality and timely supply. He also alleged that some state-leased estates, including Egbert Estate in Kolonna under Maturata Plantations, had moved away from tea into hotels, subleasing and mining, and called for monitoring and corrective action against such practices. Oral Question: Tea Smallholder Contribution to Production (Q.1/2024) Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. Nalin Hewage JJB AI summary Hon. Nalin Hewage attributed declines in plantation and agricultural production to earlier policy measures, including the fertilizer ban, and said fertilizer subsidies, including for coconut, have been restored. He stated that a National Plantation Policy is being prepared and outlined a five-year tea strategy targeting production increases from 262 million kg last year to 275 million kg this year and 400 million kg by 2030. He also said support for smallholders will include replanting, fertilizer assistance, improved plucking technologies, and modern equipment. Oral Question: Tea Smallholder Contribution to Production (Q.1/2024) Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. Hesha Withanage Ankumbura Arachchi SJB AI summary Hon. Hesha Withanage Ankumbura Arachchi questioned the Minister on the decline in tea production from around 340 million kg in 2013–2014 to about 260 million kg, attributing it largely to past fertilizer policy and reduced yields. He argued that the Rs. 4,000 fertilizer subsidy per bag is insufficient, noted the closure of over 200 tea factories, and asked what concrete plan exists to prevent smallholders, particularly in Ratnapura, from abandoning the tea industry. Oral Question: Tea Smallholder Contribution to Production (Q.1/2024) Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna JJB AI summary Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna outlined support measures for plantation crop development, including replanting grants of Rs. 630,000 per hectare, new planting grants of Rs. 500,000 per hectare, and crop rehabilitation assistance of Rs. 100 per plant subject to acreage limits. He also stated that a Rs. 4,000 fertilizer subsidy is provided per 50 kg bag, with Rs. 2,800 million allocated for 2025, and that private nurseries are regulated to ensure quality planting material. The remaining details were tabled. Oral Question: Tea Smallholder Contribution to Production (Q.1/2024) Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. Hesha Withanage Ankumbura Arachchi SJB AI summary Requested the Minister to table the detailed answer and specifically identify recent measures taken to support tea smallholders. Oral Question: Tea Smallholder Contribution to Production (Q.1/2024) Read →
- 10 September 2025 The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure JJB AI summary In response to a parliamentary question, the Minister tabled data showing tea smallholders consistently contributed around 74–78 per cent of Sri Lanka’s made tea production from 2015 to 2024, with 418,989 smallholders estimated as at 31 December 2024. He identified the main public institutions serving the sector, including the Ministry, Tea Small Holdings Development Authority, Sri Lanka Tea Board, Tea Research Institute and National Plantation Management Institute. He also tabled details of their functions, including policy coordination, grants for replanting and new planting, fertilizer subsidies, extension services, research support, nursery and trading regulation, infrastructure support and training programmes. Oral Question: Tea Smallholder Contribution to Production (Q.1/2024) Read →