Farmers impoverished by government policies - Opposition Leader

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said that the vast majority of the country's farming community, numbering in the millions, placed their trust in President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) because they had claimed on election stages that only they understood the pulse of the farmer.

He said that despite claims that numerous relief measures never before given in history would be provided to the farming community, those promised reliefs remained non existent.

The Opposition Leader made these remarks while addressing a public gathering held in Weerawila, Hambantota, yesterday (16), to look into the grievances of the farming community.

Escalating production costs and delayed subsidies

Premadasa said that 30%-40% of the country was impoverished and that this government had driven farmers into poverty.

He said farmers had been impoverished due to the harassment and policies directed at them, pointing out that high quality seed paddy, fertiliser and agrochemicals were not available at affordable prices.

He further revealed that even the fertiliser subsidy was received only after cultivation activities had concluded, and said the farmer had been left destitute due to the importing of substandard fuel, fertiliser and agrochemicals into the country.

He added that instead of the harvest increasing, expenditure had risen, and the prices of agricultural equipment had also escalated sharply.

Policy failures and media suppression

Premadasa said that just as there were no solutions to the human elephant conflict, the irrigation rehabilitation programme too had not been properly implemented.

He remarked that after gaining power, the Agriculture Minister was now pointing fingers at journalists, and said there was today no space either in Parliament or in the media to raise questions on behalf of the farmer.

He added that the farming community had been rendered absolutely helpless due to the government's inability to implement a properly managed agricultural policy.