News
Agriculture don expects upcountry vegetable prices to drop by end February
By Rathindra Kuruwita
The prices of upcountry vegetables like carrots will come down at the end of February, says Prof. Buddhi Marambe of the Agriculture Faculty, University of Peradeniya.Heavy rains during the past few months were the main reason for the current increase in the prices of vegetables, Prof. Marambe said, adding that December and April were festive seasons in Sri Lanka, and the prices of food usually went up during those months. Traditionally, the prices of vegetables usually go up in November, December, January, April, May and June.
“However, there have been some unique reasons for the current spike in vegetable prices. We saw heavy rains in October, November and December 2023. The average monthly rainfall in the upcountry in those three months, was about 400 mm,” Prof. Marambe said, adding that during tthose months, there were rains for at least 25 days of the month. When there is a cloud cover, it is difficult for plants to perform photosynthesis. Thus, the harvest drops.
“This is why we have a lot of smaller carrots.”
Sri Lankan farmers, especially vegetable growers, did not adhere to stringent soil conservation techniques, Prof. Marambe said. The heavy rains in October, November and December 2023 led to severe soil erosion.
“Some farmers opt out of farming when there are heavy rains. Although, usually farmers try to increase vegetable production between December and January, they failed to do so this year due to the heavy rains.”
Prof. Marambe said that the rainy weather is coming to an end and that farmers have started to increase their production due to the rise in prices.
“So technically, the produce should start reaching the markets by the end of February. Don’t also forget that the demand has collapsed because of high prices.”
The academic said that Sri Lanka must look at agriculture as a whole. Right now, the government focuses on the farmers when the crops are planted and then on the consumers when the harvest comes into the market.
“This often leads to contradictory policy decisions. We must now ensure that we don’t lose track of paddy cultivation.”
Prof. Marambe mentioned that paddy can remain partially underwater for a few days and survive. However, if they are submerged by water, they too will not be able to perform photosynthesis.
“Once the floods go down, there is a possibility that diseases might increase. We must not be scared, but we must be vigilant. Farmers must talk to their agricultural officer if they notice anything different about the paddy plant.”
He also said that there are several conflicts in the world, and in some instances, trade has been affected. There may be a high probability of Sri Lanka encountering challenges in securing the inputs needed for agriculture.
“We already know how much we need to produce to ensure a smooth supply. We don’t import fresh vegetables, and we know how many vegetables we need, how many acres we need to plant, and what inputs we need. So we don’t really need to wait till the very end to import the necessary inputs. We wait till the last moment and then lament that there were price increases in the world market, etc. We need to be ready and order the inputs we need.”
Sri Lanka has a long history of making ad hoc decisions when it comes to agriculture, he said. The country needs to look at the data and analyze it before making a decision.
“We as scientists also have a responsibility to collect and present the data in a way that policymakers can make clear and informed decisions. The governments must also try to be as scientific as possible. Until both sides work together, we will continue to land ourselves in messes.”
Prof. Marambe said there are many issues with regard to Sri Lankan agriculture storage facilities. Some officials seem to believe that storage only involves dumping goods into a building and closing the door.
“When we store food, even seeds, we must store them in the right conditions. There were reports of potato seeds that were to be distributed to farmers getting spoiled because of bad storage. Farmers keep on suffering because of uninformed decisions and practices.”
Prof. Marambe said the reason for the heavy rains we experienced was the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) which is an irregular oscillation of sea surface temperatures in which the western Indian Ocean becomes alternately warmer and then colder than the eastern part of the ocean. When the western Indian Ocean becomes warmer, our Western slope will experience heavy rains.
“We did the studies, and we told the Minister of Agriculture that Sri Lanka will see heavy rains in October, November and December 2023.”
He added that there are many dedicated agriculture researchers in Sri Lanka who are studying IOD and its impact on our agriculture, and with their hard work, Sri Lanka should be able to take the best advantage of rains and minimize the damage caused by heavy rains in the future.
News
Showers about 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva, Southern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Trincomalee district.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 11 MAY 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 11 May 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
The low-level atmospheric disturbance in the vicinity of Sri Lanka is likely to develop into a low-pressure area around the next 36 hours. Therefore, the prevailing showery conditions over the island are expected to continue during the next few days.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in most parts of the island and Cloudy skies are expected, under the influence of the aforementioned system. Heavy showers about 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva, Southern, North-western, Northern and North-central provinces and in Trincomalee district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekera has sought the intervention of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to pressure the JVP-NPP government to respect the rights of the Opposition.
MP Jayasekera told The Island that they wouldn’t allow the NPP to suppress the truth regarding the theft of Treasury funds amounting to USD 2.5 million. He accused Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickremaratne of depriving the Opposition of its legitimate rights, at the behest of the government.
Jayasekera said that the Speaker’s conduct regarding the action taken against Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne, too, had been brought to the notice of IPU and other international associations.
The text of MP Jayasekera’s letter to the Secretary general of IPU: “I respectfully submit this petition seeking the attention and intervention of the Inter-Parliamentary Union concerning a matter affecting parliamentary accountability, the rights of elected representatives, and the proper functioning of constitutional oversight within the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
On 06 May 2026, I Dayasiri Jayasekara MP submitted a formal request to the Hon. Speaker of Parliament seeking permission, under the Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Act No. 21 of 1953 and Standing Order 29(1), to raise a question of privilege regarding alleged constitutional and parliamentary violations by Mr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Treasury of Sri Lanka.
The proposed privilege motion raised matters including:
1. Alleged violations of Articles 148, 149, and 150 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka concerning parliamentary control over public finance;
2. Alleged failure to report to Parliament concerning a controversial and unlawful transfer of approximately USD 2.5 million from the Treasury;
3. Alleged non-compliance with parliamentary committee procedures under the Standing Orders of Parliament;
4. Questions relating to constitutional eligibility under Article 91(1)(d)(xiii) of the Constitution concerning dual citizenship and qualification to sit and vote in Parliament;
5. A request that the matter be referred to the Parliamentary Ethics and Privileges Committee established under Standing Order 118.
Despite the seriousness of the constitutional and parliamentary issues raised, the Hon. Speaker declined permission for the privilege issue to be raised in Parliament.
It is respectfully submitted that this refusal has the effect of:
• Preventing an elected Member of Parliament from exercising his parliamentary oversight function;
• Restricting parliamentary scrutiny over matters involving public finance and constitutional accountability;
• Undermining the privileges of Members of Parliament to raise matters of urgent public importance;
• Limiting institutional transparency concerning allegations involving senior state officials.
The right of parliamentarians to raise questions of privilege and matters relating to constitutional governance is an essential component of parliamentary democracy and legislative independence. The refusal to permit even the presentation or preliminary consideration of such a matter raises serious concerns regarding parliamentary accountability mechanisms in Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, I respectfully request that the Inter-Parliamentary Union:
1.Take cognizance of this matter as one affecting the rights and functions of Members of Parliament;
2.Seek clarification from the relevant parliamentary authorities in Sri Lanka regarding the grounds upon which the privilege motion was disallowed;
3.Consider whether the refusal is compatible with internationally recognised principles of parliamentary democracy, accountability, and freedom of parliamentary speech;
4. Encourage the Parliament of Sri Lanka to ensure fair and transparent procedures governing parliamentary privilege motions and constitutional oversight.
I further request that this communication be placed before the appropriate committee or mechanism within the IPU dealing with the rights and duties of parliamentarians.”
UNP Vice President and Kandy District Leader, Navin Dissanayake, on Saturday, stressed that any proposed merger between the UNP and the SJB must be carried out formally rather than in an ad hoc manner.
Addressing a media briefing in Kandy, Dissanayake said a structured framework was essential to ensure the successful reunification of the two parties ahead of future elections.
“A formal mechanism must be established for the unification of the UNP and the SJB. This process cannot be confined to personal verbal assurances given to suit individual interests. We must build a strong framework to contest future elections as a united force,” he said.
He added that the UNP could only regain political strength by reuniting with factions that had broken away from the party.
Dissanayake also claimed that the Government would be compelled to hold Provincial Council elections amid mounting international and domestic pressure.
“India is exerting pressure to conduct these elections, while the people in the North are also demanding governance under the Provincial Council system. They are awaiting the polls,” he said.
Announcing his own political intentions, Dissanayake said he hoped to contest as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the Central Province at the next Provincial Council election.
“I intend to contest as the Chief Ministerial candidate for the Central Province. Having served as a Governor, I understand the extent of service that can be delivered to the people through a Provincial Council,” he said.
Recalling the history of constitutional devolution, Dissanayake said his late father, Gamini Dissanayake, had played a significant role in the introduction of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
by SK Samaranayake
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