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- 21 January 2025 The Hon. Ravindra Bandara AI summary Ravindra Bandara raised an urgent question on reported damage to paddy fields in Ampara following water releases from the Senanayake Samudraya during recent adverse weather, asking what action had been taken. He also sought relief for traditional cultivators farming State, LRC and Forest Department lands without permits, noting their exclusion from fertilizer subsidies, loans and crop insurance. He further asked whether the Government is investigating large politically allocated landholdings that remain uncultivated and what action will follow. Oral Questions (Multiple Questions) Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe SLMC AI summary Hon. M.S. Uthumalebbe urged the Government to respect the role and rights of Opposition Members, maintain a new political culture, and pursue legal action for past wrongdoing while focusing on public delivery. He called for stronger Export Development Board support, subsidies, marketing assistance, and skills development for Eastern Province sectors including cashew, ornamental fish, handloom, palm handicrafts, fisheries, vegetables, aquaculture, and reclaimed agricultural lands under the Gal Oya scheme. He requested that local government elections and the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination not be held during Ramadan, citing the religious obligations of Muslim communities and students. He also raised concerns that the Department of Archaeology had appropriated Muslim-owned lands in Kuchchaveli, asking the relevant Ministry to protect antiquities without creating ethnic tensions. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. T.B. Sarath - Deputy Minister of Housing JJB AI summary Deputy Minister T.B. Sarath rejected Opposition claims of unmanaged shortages in rice, salt, and coconuts, while acknowledging a scarcity of Nadu rice and alleging that major millers were influencing supply and prices. He defended the Government’s controlled consumer prices for rice, arguing that reducing import duties during harvest would depress farmgate prices, and said the policy aims to balance consumer protection with fair returns for farmers. He also stated that the fertilizer subsidy had been raised from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000 per hectare, with Rs. 18 billion already paid or allocated, and said comprehensive farmer data would be presented within six months. The Deputy Minister maintained that the Government would address supply and pricing issues methodically and that results would be visible within one to three months. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Gayantha Karunathilleka SJB AI summary Gayantha Karunathilleka raised concerns about small tea holders in his district, stating that green leaf prices have fallen from about Rs. 250 to below Rs. 200 per kilo and that access to suitable subsidized fertilizer remains inadequate. He urged the Minister to ensure a viable price and proper fertilizer supply, and criticized assurances that the rice issue is resolved, arguing that concrete relief is needed for affected people. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe JJB AI summary The Minister outlined additional sources of rice demand, including ornamental fish feed, rice flour milling, beer production, poultry, and fisheries, noting that these uses contributed to perceived market shortages. He said the Government had inspected miller stocks in several provinces and, from 8 December, arranged the daily release of 350 MT of rice through Sathosa to stabilize supply and maintain the controlled price. He also stated that data discrepancies among relevant agencies were being reconciled and that PMB and Sathosa would be integrated for procurement, with guaranteed prices for farmers and fair prices for consumers to prevent future shortages and avoid imports. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Wasantha Samarasinghe JJB AI summary Wasantha Samarasinghe said the shortage of red rice was partly due to distribution to people who did not need it. He pointed to the poultry industry’s use of about 300,000 metric tons of paddy annually and called for government departments to reduce reliance on domestic harvests for poultry feed. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Sudath Balagalla JJB AI summary Hon. Sudath Balagalla said the Government was formed to strengthen industry, tourism, and agriculture, and argued that its members had direct experience of struggles affecting farmers, fishers, workers, and teachers. He rejected Opposition criticism, asserting that the Government understood the causes of public problems and intended to address them within five years. He also criticized past actions against journalists and referred to the impact of the Dr. Shafi controversy, urging media institutions to recognize their role in national affairs. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Sudath Balagalla JJB AI summary Hon. Sudath Balagalla defended the Government’s early performance, arguing that it should be given time to rebuild the country and agriculture sector after what he described as decades of hardship and neglect. He said Cabinet members, MPs, and party members were working voluntarily, and asserted that the Government would fulfil its promises within five years, including addressing longstanding grievances affecting rural children’s educational opportunities. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Nandana Pathmakumara JJB AI summary Hon. Nandana Pathmakumara defended the Government’s performance during its first 49 days, citing measures on fertilizer subsidies, paddy purchasing and storage, support for small millers, fisheries fuel relief, Aswesuma benefits, school supply assistance, pensioner support, and tourism targets. He called for an investigation into alleged misuse of the President’s Fund and accused the Opposition of criticizing government measures for electoral reasons. He also invited Opposition support for the Clean Sri Lanka programme and poverty alleviation initiatives while stating that implementation would be strengthened and accelerated. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan ITAK AI summary Hon. Kathiravelu Shanmugam Kugathasan argued that rising rice prices are partly linked to the loss of cultivated paddy lands in Trincomalee due to acquisitions or restrictions imposed by state agencies, especially the Department of Archaeology. He cited several areas where hundreds or thousands of acres of long-cultivated land, including temple-linked agricultural lands, have been gazetted, boundary-marked, or taken over as archaeological sites, preventing farmers from cultivating. He also said the Defence Ministry, Forest Department, and Port Authority are restricting agricultural land use, and urged the Government to provide redress. Adjournment Debate: Government Performance and Commodity Prices Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Upali Pannilage - Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment JJB AI summary The Minister referred to Section 9 of the Welfare Benefits Act, No. 24 of 2002, and presented the Aswesuma Welfare Benefit Payment Scheme Order, citing survey and poverty data to contextualize the economic impact on households. He stated that two welfare benefit categories due to expire on 31 December 2024 were extended to 31 March 2025, while monthly payments for the Poor and Extreme Poor categories were increased from January 2025. He said the Government’s five-year programme prioritizes poverty eradication through cash transfers, empowerment of two million vulnerable and extremely poor families, and integrated rural development including community-based microfinance and savings initiatives. Special Commodity Levy Act: Orders and Related Motions Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti - Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development JJB AI summary The Minister said longstanding issues in the coconut sector, including tree felling and estate conversion, cannot be resolved immediately because new trees take time to mature. He stated that the Government would import copra and provide it to local mills for domestic processing as an interim measure. Special Commodity Levy Act: Orders and Related Motions Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Hon. Ravi Karunanayake briefly stated that the issue under discussion was comparable to the situation regarding palm oil. No specific proposal, question, or policy position was elaborated in the excerpt. Special Commodity Levy Act: Orders and Related Motions Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti - Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development JJB AI summary The Minister accepted the Member’s concern about the Special Commodity Levy, stating that it is intended to offset some VAT effects but had previously been misused through arbitrary duty changes, citing the sugar duty case. He said the Ministry would consider the issue at the appropriate time. On edible oils, he noted that VAT applies to coconut oil and proposed importing copra pieces for local processing instead of refined RBD oil, citing concerns over consumer protection, health risks, and misleading labelling of imported coconut oil products. Special Commodity Levy Act: Orders and Related Motions Read →
- 9 January 2025 The Hon. Ravi Karunanayake NDF AI summary Ravi Karunanayake cautioned that shifting to an ad valorem duty structure could effectively freeze import duties and disadvantage locally produced coconut, palm, and other edible oils. He asked that the issue be addressed, noting that domestic producers continue to face VAT and other levies while imports may benefit from the duty structure, potentially hampering local production. Special Commodity Levy Act: Orders and Related Motions Read →
- 8 January 2025 The Hon. Sunil Handunnetti - Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development JJB AI summary The Minister said facilities for miners had not been withdrawn and that the Government was working to remove political interference in the gem mining sector, particularly affecting traditional miners. He proposed a special presidential investigation into alleged corruption, improper licensing practices, land takeovers and the displacement of traditional miners. He outlined planned measures including a sector advisory committee, mine safety manual, expanded compensation and insurance schemes, public complaint mechanisms, and weekly ministry public days. He also said the Government would strengthen gem valuation and export oversight, address weaknesses in the NGJA legal unit, and discuss VAT relief for value-added gem processing with the Finance Ministry. Adjournment and Adjournment Questions Read →
- 8 January 2025 The Hon. Hesha Withanage AI summary Hon. Hesha Withanage raised concerns about difficulties faced by traditional gem miners in Ratnapura, asking whether earlier facilities had been withdrawn and whether large-scale miners or political interference were obstructing their livelihoods. He questioned what action the Government would take to remove these obstacles, noting that Police are now reportedly charging miners under the Mines and Minerals Act, leading to higher fines and possible suspended imprisonment instead of lower penalties under the National Gem and Jewellery Authority Act. He urged relief for small-scale miners while maintaining the law, and proposed internationally recognized certification for even low-value gems to reduce smuggling and increase national revenue. Adjournment and Adjournment Questions Read →
- 8 January 2025 The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayathissa - Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip JJB AI summary Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayathissa said Sri Lanka Thriposha Ltd. is being revived as a nationally important institution and confirmed that production of Thriposha, Suposha and Calorie Bar continues at normal levels. He detailed the target beneficiaries for free Thriposha distribution, including pregnant and lactating mothers and malnourished children, and noted that maize and soya supply and quality constraints have affected production. He said the company is profit-making, with Rs. 555 million post-tax profit in 2023, and outlined plans with the Agriculture Ministry to support farmers through buy-back arrangements while also testing rice-based alternatives with FAO support. He stated that the Government intends to maintain free nutritional products for target groups and expand commercial products while ensuring nutritional standards. Adjournment and Adjournment Questions Read →
- 8 January 2025 The Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha SJB AI summary Hon. Nalin Bandara Jayamaha criticized the Government’s handling of rice imports, price controls, and fertilizer subsidies, arguing that delayed imports, high duties, poor quality rice, and ineffective market management had worsened consumer prices while farmers had not received promised support. He questioned why key economic officials had been retained and said the Government had reversed its earlier opposition to trade agreements such as the Singapore–Sri Lanka FTA and ETCA, which he said his side had consistently supported. He welcomed the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme in principle but urged it to address appointments and alleged misconduct in public institutions, citing the Merchant Shipping Secretariat and diplomatic appointments, and briefly referred to the Bingiriya incident involving an MP. Debate: Orders and Regulations under Import/Export Control Act, Foreign Exchange Act, and Other Acts (continued) Read →
- 8 January 2025 The Hon. (Mrs.) Sagarika Athauda, Attorney-at-Law JJB AI summary Hon. (Mrs.) Sagarika Athauda supported the continuation of food-related regulations and orders prepared by the previous Government where they serve public welfare. She highlighted concerns over food safety, including genetically modified foods, chemical additives, expired products, Thriposha ingredients, milk powder and coconut oil, and linked these to malnutrition, non-communicable diseases, and Sri Lanka’s low rankings in food security and healthcare indices. She said the Government’s “Clean Sri Lanka” objective includes ensuring citizens’ access to toxin-free, quality food through stronger standards for production, imports, distribution and retail. Debate: Orders and Regulations under Import/Export Control Act, Foreign Exchange Act, and Other Acts (continued) Read →