Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has warned that the country's farmers will ultimately decide the fate of the government, accusing the NPP administration of neglecting the agricultural sector despite promises made at the last election.
Premadasa made the remarks while addressing a public rally in Anuradhapura.
He said the Agriculture Minister had himself acknowledged that the cost of producing one kilogram of paddy stood at around Rs. 137, even as the guaranteed price paid to farmers remained fixed at only Rs. 120.
He said farmers had continued to cultivate their lands despite this shortfall, and despite ongoing challenges such as the human elephant conflict, yet were still unable to secure a fair and stable price for their harvests.
The Opposition Leader alleged that many farmers had been forced to mortgage their property and borrow money at high interest rates simply to fund cultivation, only to then face shortages of quality seed paddy, delays in fertiliser subsidies, poor quality fertiliser, and rising costs for agrochemicals, fuel and farming equipment.
He noted that loan schemes previously available to farmers in past decades no longer existed, leaving cultivators dependent on informal lenders who charged excessive rates of interest.
Premadasa further alleged that the government had abandoned the farming community after coming into office, despite having promised relief, and claimed that farmers were seeing no meaningful benefit even as the Treasury's financial position had strengthened.
He said warehouses were being filled with imported rice while small and medium scale rice mill owners were being sidelined, and accused the government of insulting the farming community rather than supporting it.
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