Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has alleged that the government has imposed taxes on agricultural equipment while reducing taxes on cigarettes.
He claimed that a tax concession worth Rs. 9.2 billion had been granted to a cigarette company from January 2026 to July 14, while no tax concessions had been provided for the agricultural equipment required by farmers.
According to Sajith Premadasa, the government has taken steps to provide tax concessions to cigarette companies while increasing the tax burden on agricultural equipment.
The Opposition Leader made these remarks while participating in a meeting held in Suriyawewa, Hambantota, to discuss the issues faced by farmers.
He said the government has announced that guaranteed prices of Rs. 120 for Nadu, Rs. 130 for Samba and Rs. 140 for Kiri Samba would be provided to protect paddy farmers.
However, he noted that during the election period, the government had promised to make a guaranteed price of Rs. 150 a law of the country, but none of the promises made at that time had been fulfilled.
As a result, farming has now become a loss-making profession, he said.
Farmer trapped in a vicious cycle of debt
“Today, farming has become a vicious cycle, and the farmer is trapped in a death trap of debt,” Sajith Premadasa said.
He stated that even when farmers borrow money from moneylenders at high interest rates and engage in cultivation, they do not receive quality fertiliser, seeds, rice or agrochemicals.
He also said that farmers do not receive even the fertiliser subsidy according to the promised schedule.
In addition, the prices of agrochemicals and fertiliser have increased. At a time when farmers are already facing these difficulties, the government has imposed further taxes on agricultural equipment despite the rising prices of such equipment, he alleged.
He further said that the human-elephant conflict had also become a serious problem for farmers.
“Even when farmers lose everything, including their property and lives, the government does not face these problems,” the Opposition Leader said.
‘Today, the farmer has become a prisoner of moneylender loans’
Sajith Premadasa said that the cycle of cultivation financed through loans obtained from moneylenders had ultimately become a vicious cycle, leaving farmers permanently trapped in debt.
He recalled that during the election period, it had been said that the farmer would become the “king” and that the farmer would rule.
“However, today, this government is turning the farmer into a moneylender, while insulting, mocking and character-assassinating farmers by calling them artificial farmers,” he said.
‘Government has no answer to farmers’ problems’
The Opposition Leader said that although questions are raised in Parliament on behalf of farmers, the government has reached a point where it takes time to provide answers.
He noted that the paddy harvest in the Eastern Province is now in its final stages, but no solutions have been provided to the issues faced by farmers.
He alleged that the government was attempting to forget these issues over time.
“Now, only Rs. 120 is being paid for paddy with 14% moisture, and this has been limited to 2,500 kilograms,” he said.
Cost of producing one kilo of paddy is Rs. 137
Sajith Premadasa said that the market must be strengthened to resolve the problems faced by farmers.
He also said that small- and medium-scale paddy mill owners should be strengthened and that financial support should be provided to small- and medium-scale mill owners who are struggling financially under the burden of debt.
He stated that although the government says it will provide a guaranteed price to farmers, the cost of producing one kilogram of paddy has now increased to Rs. 137.
As a result, farmers are suffering a loss of Rs. 17 per kilogram, the Opposition Leader said.
‘Government has no goal of achieving food security’
Sajith Premadasa alleged that the government had obtained the votes of farmers by making false promises during the election period but was now taking steps that were causing losses to farmers.
He said that at a time when the farming community was facing numerous problems, the farmer had now become a nuisance to those who had obtained the farmer’s votes.
He further alleged that the government was acting as if farmers were not the people who ensure food security and self-sufficiency.
According to the Opposition Leader, the government has no goal of achieving food security.
He said that although those in the opposition had made false promises, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya would continue its struggle until a proper price is provided for paddy.
‘Government does not want to make the farmer king’
The Opposition Leader further alleged that the government had destroyed the market for rice produced by the agricultural community by importing rice instead of purchasing rice from farmers.
He questioned whether the government had come to power to import rice from abroad, protect large-scale rice mill owners or provide a guaranteed price to farmers.
He added that a higher guaranteed price should be provided for paddy produced by farmers and said that he would stand for that cause.
‘No room in Parliament to discuss farmers’ issues’
Sajith Premadasa further alleged that the government had decided that the Opposition Leader did not have the right to discuss farmers’ issues even in parliamentary committees.
He said that, as the Opposition Leader, he had been prevented from raising questions regarding guaranteed prices in the agricultural sectoral oversight committees.
According to him, this ban had been imposed by JVP members.
He alleged that the government had silenced the opposition and that nationally important issues were being prevented from being raised in Parliament.
The Opposition Leader further claimed that even freedom of speech in Parliament had been restricted.
