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Water to be released for Yala season after March 15

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The release of water to farmlands for commencement of Yala season after March 15th was discussed at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation. This was discussed when the Committee met in Parliament on Feb. 18 under the chairmanship of the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation – K.D. Lal Kantha.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne said that it is planned to release water for paddy fields after March 15th with the expectation of commencing cultivation of a larger area of land during the Yala season. The Deputy Minister further stated that all paddy fields will be cultivated by the end of April.

The MPs also drew the attention of the Committee to the existing issues related to the reclamation of paddy lands. While briefing the programme “Eka Mitata Govi Bimata”, the committee chairperson emphasized that this is not a programme for cultivating barren paddy fields. He further stated that crops that can be cultivated in each area should be identified on a scientific basis and those crops can be cultivated with the approval of the Agricultural Commissioner of the relevant area.

The committee also discussed the maize stocks required by the country. Officials informed the committee that 275,000 metric tons of maize had been imported for animal feed between 2024 and January 31, 2025. The chairperson mentioned that the import of maize was halted after January 31, 2025. However, he also noted that while the annual maize requirement is 600,000 metric tons, the country’s maize production is insufficient to meet this demand. As a result, the chairman stated that maize imports would need to resume in the future. Additionally, the committee highlighted the importance of providing opportunities for small and medium-scale entrepreneurs if maize imports are resumed. Furthermore, a plan has been developed to expand the area dedicated to maize cultivation in the country to 20,000 hectares.

Attention was also drawn to the issues existing in the country’s irrigation systems and the measures to be taken to resolve them. The committee chairperson said that special attention will be paid to the irrigation issues existing in the Northern and Eastern provinces.

Meanwhile, the annual report of the Colombo Commercial Fertilizers Limited for the year 2021/2022, the annual report of the National Institute of Post Harvest Management for the year 2022, the annual report of the National Livestock Development Board for the year 2019, the annual report of the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau for the year 2023 and the annual performance report of the Department of Animal Production and Health for the year 2023, the annual performance report of the Ministry of Irrigation for the year 2023, the annual performance report of the Irrigation Department for the year 2023 and the performance report of the Department of Agrarian Development for the year 2019 were presented to the Committee for consideration.

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GoSL to develop unique Food Security Index for SL

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The government is currently prioritizing the development of a country-specific Food Security Index, with the goal of completing the initiative within the next three months.

This tailored index is expected to better reflect Sri Lanka’s unique food security landscape, addressing the limitations of global indices such as the Global Food Security Index (GFSI), which have been criticized for failing to capture the nuances of the local context. Policymakers have also noted that existing data is often insufficient or imprecise, making it challenging to develop effective strategies.

The proposed index aims to identify key national priorities and guide food security policy over the next five years.

As a first step in this effort, a workshop titled “Identifying a Suitable Food Security Index for Sri Lanka and Formulating a Strategic Plan” was held today (17) at the Colombo City Center. Organized by the Food Security Expert Committee in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), the event brought together experts and stakeholders from across the sector.

Delivering the opening remarks, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Gunaratne emphasized the importance of the initiative, stating that the development of a precise, country-specific index is a vital step toward ensuring both economic stability and national food security. The workshop focused on the four key dimensions of food security; availability, accessibility, utilization and stability and explored how these can be incorporated into a comprehensive and practical national index.

Participants included members of the Food Security Expert Committee, such as Senior Professors Buddhi Marambe and Jeevika Weerahewa, along with representatives from various government agencies, academic institutions, the FAO, the WFP and the private sector.

(President’s Media Division)

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Several Opp. MPs walk out of Parliament

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Several opposition members of Parliament have walked out of the Parliament chamber today (June 17.) in protest over the actions of the Speaker of House, according to Chief Opposition Whip Member of Parliament Gayantha Karunathilleka.

MP Karunathilleka noted that several MPs including those from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), walked out of Parliament after the Speaker refused to allocate time to discuss the on-going Iran-Israel conflict.

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SL – France sign key debt restructuring agreement

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Sri Lanka and France signed a bilateral agreement yesterday (June 16) in Colombo, marking a major milestone in Sri Lanka’s external debt restructuring process, the Ministry of Finance announced.

The bilateral agreement was signed by Mahinda Siriwardana, Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, on behalf of the government and William Roos, Assistant Secretary, Multilateral Affairs, Trade and Development Policies Department, Directorate-general of the Treasury, on behalf of the government of France.

The statement by the Finance Ministry added that the government of France played a pivotal role in spearheading Sri Lanka’s external debt restructuring process, co-chairing the Official Creditor Committee alongside Japan and India.

The Ministry noted that the agreement would further strengthen the longstanding bilateral relationships between the two nations.

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