A discussion to review the progress of projects being implemented under the 2026 budget allocations for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, and to consider the Ministry's budgetary requirements for 2027, was held this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
During the meeting, the progress of projects implemented in 2026 by institutions under the Ministry, including the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Development, the Department of Export Agriculture and the Institute of Post-Harvest Technology (IPHT), was reviewed individually. Attention was also focused on institutions requiring restructuring to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
The President instructed that all irrigation projects maintained by various institutions, departments and local authorities should be regulated through a single district-level unit. He also directed that irrigation rehabilitation projects being implemented across the island be comprehensively mapped.
Emphasising the need to maximise the utilisation of funds allocated under the 2026 Budget, the President instructed officials to further promote concessionary bank loan facilities available to young entrepreneurs in the agriculture and industrial sectors.
The President also instructed officials to submit a report containing proposals for the integrated and systematic management of extension services currently operating under various ministries. He further highlighted the importance of holding separate discussions on individual subject areas to ensure seamless coordination between the Provincial Councils and the Central Government.
The President also directed officials to submit new proposals and projects aimed at promoting export agricultural crops and increasing the value of related products.
The meeting also reviewed projects launched in recent years with foreign loan assistance. As many had exceeded their scheduled completion dates, the President instructed officials to expedite their completion. He further emphasised that, in future, no project financed through foreign loans should be approved without a clear understanding of its intended outcomes.
It was also noted that the Government had incurred a significant financial burden due to the failure to complete certain projects initiated in previous years within the stipulated timeframe. Accordingly, it was decided to review projects that had not been completed on schedule.
The discussion also highlighted the importance of replacing outdated projects and programmes that have continued for many years without delivering tangible results with more productive agricultural programmes.
Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha; Minister of Labor and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando; Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne; Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation Aravinda Senarath; Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Dr.Harshana Suriyapperuma; Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara; Secretary to the Ministry of Energy and Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponsu; Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation D.P. Wickramasinghe; and officials of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation were also present at the discussion.
