Action to Resolve Farmers’ Issues – Minister Vasantha Samarasinghe

13-Nov-2025

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The government is taking necessary steps to provide fair solutions to the problems of farmers, including onion and potato cultivators, said Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development Vasantha Samarasinghe.

He made this statement in response to questions raised by Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara during the parliamentary session on November 11.

He said opposition members were making unfounded claims in Parliament. The government had paid attention to the issue as early as August 25, when a decision was made to impose a tax on onions and potatoes.

The Koppegoda Agricultural Research Institute had assessed the production costs and formulated a pricing mechanism for purchasing onions and potatoes.

Both the private sector and the CWE had agreed to purchase onions at Rs.130 per kilogram. However, due to weather conditions, prices later fell.

The government had been closely monitoring the onion and potato market for over a month and a half. Accordingly, Rs.17 million was allocated in the Budget for long-term storage and purchasing facilities. “The government is acting to find fair and just solutions to farmers’ problems,” he concluded.