President Anura Kumara Dissanayake chaired a meeting on Monday  (11) morning at the Presidential Secretariat to review projects implemented under the 2025 budget allocations for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, and to discuss budget proposals for 2026.

The President held separate discussions with officials on agriculture, livestock, land and irrigation, issuing directives to expedite the resolution of state-owned land issues and to establish a comprehensive sector-wide data system.

When planning the upcoming budget, President Dissanayake emphasised the need to prioritise sectors vital to reviving the national economy, instructing officials to focus on initiatives that would enable agriculture, livestock, land and irrigation to make a stronger contribution to economic growth. He underscored that these areas form a core part of the government’s strategy to eradicate rural poverty and integrate rural communities into the broader economy.

Highlighting the strategic importance of the livestock sector, the President announced that the upcoming budget would place special emphasis on transforming local dairy production and livestock farming into fully-fledged industries.

President Dissanayake also noted that financial allocations alone are insufficient. He stressed the need to ensure that the benefits of projects are effectively delivered to the public and called for the strengthening of mechanisms necessary to achieve this goal.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lalakantha; Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne; Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation Dr. Susil Ranasinghe; Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma; Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara and senior ministry officials.