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- 12 March 2025 The Hon. B. Ariyawansha SJB AI summary Hon. B. Ariyawansha highlighted problems across agriculture beyond paddy, including high input costs for vegetable and fruit farmers, crop losses, wildlife damage, marketing failures, and the lack of fertilizer support outside paddy cultivation. He questioned whether rice could be maintained at around Rs. 220 per kilogram given current paddy purchase prices, and urged measures to protect both farmers and consumers. He called for action against chemical fruit ripening, better marketing and price support for banana, cinnamon, pepper and clove producers, and an investigation into the closure and debts of the Spices and Allied Products Marketing Board, while expressing support for effective government programmes for farmers. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan ITAK AI summary Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan welcomed the increased overall allocation to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Resources, Lands and Irrigation in the 2025 Budget, but criticized reductions to agriculture, livestock and irrigation development allocations as inconsistent with rice self-sufficiency goals. He argued that unreleased pre-1985 cultivated lands, unrepaired tanks and anicuts, encroachments, and restrictions by the Forest, Wildlife, Archaeology and related authorities in Trincomalee District are significantly reducing paddy production. He urged the Minister to implement earlier decisions to release former farmlands, rehabilitate irrigation assets including Yan Oya-linked tanks, address departmental obstruction, and resolve restrictions on traditional pasture lands in Verugal. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Aruna Panagoda JJB AI summary Hon. Aruna Panagoda supported the Agriculture Ministry’s expenditure proposals, emphasizing the rehabilitation of fallow paddy lands in Colombo and the need to address farmers’ problems through public participation. He defended the planned animal census as necessary to quantify crop damage by species such as porcupines, peacocks, monkeys and wild boar, citing a serious wild boar problem in Homagama and the need for data before relocating animals. He also alleged irregular private transfers of Land Reform Commission and state lands to politically connected persons, calling for rectification. He urged strengthened village-level farmer support, improved agrarian and veterinary services, and policies to ensure food security, fair farmer returns, and affordable consumer prices. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. W.H.M. Dharmasena SJB AI summary Hon. W.H.M. Dharmasena urged the Ministry to regularize land documentation in farming areas, especially in Monaragala, where long-term cultivators face boundary disputes and uncertainty over permits, grants, deeds, and stalled “Urumaya” title applications. He requested either the restoration of cancelled prior documents or a process to issue notarial deeds, and called for timely, full fertilizer subsidy payments to support rice self-sufficiency. He also asked the Government to commence the Nakkala Anicut/Kumbukkan Oya Development project to expand irrigation and drinking water supply in Monaragala, release traditional farmlands transferred to the Wildlife Department, and strengthen electric fencing to address the human–elephant conflict. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Amirthanathan Adaikkalanathan DTNA AI summary Hon. Amirthanathan Adaikkalanathan urged the Government to allocate grazing lands and release farmland and pasture areas controlled by the Forest Conservation and Wildlife Conservation Departments, as well as lands held by the military, warning that delays are harming livestock farmers and cultivation. He highlighted farmers’ financial distress, delayed paddy purchasing arrangements, crop losses from disasters, and risks from unsafe drying practices and expired agro-chemicals, calling for drying facilities and stronger chemical regulation. He also requested urgent implementation of reservoir-based drinking water schemes in Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya, citing unreliable groundwater, waterborne disease risks and kidney disease linked to poor water quality. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. (Prof.) L.M. Abeywickrama JJB AI summary Hon. (Prof.) L.M. Abeywickrama said past policy decisions, particularly the chemical fertilizer and agrochemical ban, damaged agriculture and weakened farmer confidence, while current reforms aim to rebuild institutions under capable leadership. He argued that productivity must increase through science, research, new technologies, and stronger links with universities and research institutes, especially amid climate change, pests, floods, and droughts. He highlighted Budget allocations to priority reforms, including development of 29 seed farms over the next eight months and implementation of the Seed Act to provide certified, quality seeds with assured germination and varietal purity. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Susil Ranasinghe JJB AI summary Dr. Susil Ranasinghe said the Government intends to address bottlenecks in irrigation projects, including the Wee Oya Reservoir project and other stalled projects nationwide. He stated that while environmental concerns and public opposition would be considered, the Government would proceed through discussions with affected communities, provide relief, and ensure fair treatment and justice in any necessary relocation. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera SJB AI summary Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera urged the Government to move beyond surveys and implement measures to control monkey-related crop damage, particularly in Kegalle, proposing sterilization, relocation, and a payment scheme for captured animals while rejecting culling as impractical. He said agricultural and home-gardening programmes would be undermined unless long-term action is taken to reduce losses, including the reported annual loss of coconuts and other crops. He also called for environmentally sensitive lands, including LRC and JEDB lands such as Nagastenna/Kandal Oya Estate in Yatiyantota, to be identified, gazetted, and protected from disposal or misuse under tourism or other pretexts. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera SJB AI summary K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera raised concern during the Committee Stage debate about crop damage caused by wild animals, noting that addressing this issue had been a Government election promise. He said an earlier programme to trap and relocate monkeys was no longer operating and questioned whether the recently announced wildlife census would provide timely relief. Referring to his experience chairing the Kegalle District Coordinating Committee from 2015 to 2019, he emphasized that Kegalle is among the districts seriously affected by the problem. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Kabir Hashim SJB AI summary Kabir Hashim raised concerns about the proposed Yatiyantota Wee Oya Reservoir Development Project, a World Bank-supported climate disaster mitigation initiative affecting communities in the Yatiyantota and Deraniyagala electorates. He said over 200 families face uncertainty over land acquisition, compensation, alternative land, livelihoods and resettlement support, particularly smallholder tea growers needing suitable replacement lands. He requested that the Ministry clarify whether and when the project will proceed and ensure officials communicate a fair compensation and resettlement mechanism to affected villagers. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. T.B. Sarath - Deputy Minister of Housing JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister rejected Opposition claims about unpaid flood compensation in Polonnaruwa, stating that Rs. 103.2 million had been paid to 6,234 farmers for 9,058.9 acres within a month of the damage. He defended the Government’s paddy purchasing price of Rs. 120 per kilo as based on production cost calculations and Treasury constraints, and said fertilizer subsidy spending would be reviewed in light of past allocations and actual disbursements. He outlined plans to move toward pesticide-free agriculture, require officer certification for agrochemical use, expand certified seed production through 29 seed farms, fund value-added agricultural industries, improve transport and market systems, and reduce maize imports by meeting national demand within two seasons. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan SJB AI summary (Dr.) V.S. Radhakrishnan clarified that he had not urged the Government to bring Indian teachers, but had only referred to a past 2017 proposal that was opposed by the JVP. Speaking during the Agriculture Ministry debate, he urged attention to Upcountry farmers in Nuwara Eliya, Badulla and Welimada, including better management of vegetable seed supply and prices, soil pH testing, protection of local potato farmers through import controls or higher taxes during harvest, and support for common livestock sheds. He also requested more veterinary services in milk-producing areas such as Maskeliya and Bogawantalawa. He thanked Minister Bimal Rathnayake for prompt action over a Hatton bus incident involving a student, including suspending the officer concerned and obtaining an apology. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Hon. Namal Rajapaksa argued that current paddy prices and the reduced fertilizer allocation require more practical intervention to protect farmer incomes, questioning whether the Rs. 5 billion set aside for paddy purchases is sufficient to influence market prices. He proposed soil testing and technology-based fertilizer distribution, greater adoption of modern farming methods, and credit support through cooperative and rural banks. He also raised concerns about police officers being required to vacate quarters within six months and requested a more practical timeframe, while noting issues at the German Technical College and expressing support for the planned count of monkeys, porcupines and langurs. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Namal Karunaratne - Deputy Minister JJB AI summary The Deputy Minister stated that the matter being referred to occurred during the period when fertilizer was unavailable. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Attorney-at-Law SLPP AI summary Namal Rajapaksa argued that successive governments, including those led by Mahinda Rajapaksa and later administrations, had supported farmers through fertilizer subsidies, paddy purchasing and storage measures. He urged current Ministers who previously advocated for farmers from the Opposition to fulfil their promises in government, specifically referring to past claims that paddy should be priced at around Rs. 150–154 per kilogram. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Sellaththamby Thilaganathan JJB AI summary The speech outlined Budget allocations for agriculture, livestock, lands and irrigation, including funding for MILCO, and argued that the livestock sector has been weakened by shortages of veterinary staff, outdated vehicles, inadequate fuel and insufficient allowances. It raised concerns that farmers receive low prices while intermediaries capture high margins, and supported proposed government mechanisms through cooperatives and MILCO to improve paddy and milk marketing. It criticized past imports of unsuitable dairy cattle, particularly to dry-zone areas, and emphasized the suitability of indigenous cattle and buffalo systems in the North and East. A request was made to provide controlled grazing access on lands under Forest and Wildlife authorities, citing relevant forest and wildlife legislation and the cultural and livelihood role of cattle rearing. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne NDF AI summary Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne called for a shift in agricultural policy toward higher productivity through technology, improved seeds, mechanization, reliable data systems, and land consolidation where possible, noting that a large share of Sri Lanka’s workforce produces a comparatively small share of GDP. He cited the Netherlands as an example of high-output agriculture with fewer workers and urged a more income-focused approach to improve farmer earnings and national output. He also pressed the Government to implement a practical programme to address crop damage from wild animals, citing Hector Kobbekaduwa Institute figures on major losses to coconuts and other crops, and urged Government-Opposition cooperation on the issue. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleke SJB AI summary Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleke criticised past and present handling of agriculture, citing the former Government’s chemical fertilizer ban and organic fertilizer policy as damaging to paddy and plantation crops. He said the current Government had also faced issues including delayed fertilizer subsidies, unpaid farmer compensation, delayed guaranteed paddy prices, rice shortages, and high rice and coconut prices. He called for accurate land-use data, secure land tenure, agricultural modernization, improved farmer incomes, and a shift toward commercial agriculture and food security, while questioning whether the Government had an effective plan for the sector. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Kins Nelson SJB AI summary Kins Nelson urged relief for farmers affected by poor Maha-season conditions, proposing that at least 50 per cent of cultivation loans be waived where full write-offs are not possible. He called for protection and staffing of state seed farms, citing the 498-acre Polonnaruwa seed farm and the lack of permanent worker recruitment for a decade. He also proposed providing quality fertilizer through Agrarian Service Centres at Rs. 5,000 per bag and regulating pesticide costs to stabilize paddy and rice prices, while warning against allowing mill owners and traders to control prices, including for Keeri Samba. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →
- 12 March 2025 The Hon. Namal Karunaratne - Deputy Minister JJB AI summary Namal Karunaratne rejected a statement made by another member, saying he does not and has never eaten paddy. He added that paddy is eaten only when cattle trample fields, apparently responding to an accusation or remark made during the debate. Appropriation Bill 2025 - Committee Stage: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Read →