2026-03-03 / Oral Question: Agricultural Research and Production Assistants Appointments (Q.913/2025) 2026-03-03
Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne responded to questions regarding delays in fertilizer subsidy disbursements and agricultural compensation payments, attributing the issues primarily to a shortage of approximately 4,000 officers resulting from recruitment gaps under previous governments, which the current government has committed to addressing. He noted that the "B25" cyclone significantly increased the workload of agricultural departments, and highlighted that the current government expanded crop compensation coverage to include all crops and livestock, compared to approximately six crop types under previous administrations. The Deputy Minister also confirmed that tank rehabilitation works — including repairs to bunds, sluices, and canals damaged by Cyclone "Ditsha" — are underway with allocated funds. He indicated that other identified departmental issues are being resolved systematically.
Hon. Member, you asked many questions, and some answers are in your own presentation. First, we released fertilizer funds in two rounds, because money was deposited before cultivation started. There are still farmers who have not received the second round, for several reasons. One reason, which you mentioned, is the shortage of officers—around 4,000—because your governments did not recruit them. As the Government, we have decided to fill those vacancies.
Especially with the “B25” cyclone our officers and departments were assigned a large workload. Under your governments, compensation was paid only for about six crop types. Under our government, compensation was paid for all crops including paddy, cucumber, bitter gourd, pumpkin, cabbage, snake gourd, etc., and the amounts were increased. Compensation was also paid for livestock such as cattle, pigs, goats and poultry. This imposed a heavy workload on our officers, causing congestion and delays, and some issues arose. We are correcting that now.
You also raised the matter of invasive plants in fields and tanks being filled with silt. Tank rehabilitation work has already begun. We are repairing tanks, bunds, sluices and canals damaged by the “Ditsha” cyclone, and funds have been allocated. Those works are underway.
There are other departmental issues as well, which we have identified. We are proceeding methodically to resolve them.