Sri Lanka: Potato farmers complain about high production costs

On Tuesday (18) a meeting was held at the Presidential Secretariat with the aim of formulating a systematic program to address the challenges of local potato farmers.

The meeting was held under the sponsorship of the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, KD Lal Kantha, and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Food Security, Wasantha Samarasinghe, with the participation of potato farmers, according to a statement from the Presidential Media Division.

See morePope NewsCrop insurancepotatoAgricultural newsIrrigation systemsAgricultural market studiesPotato storageAgricultural soil analysisCentral Market ReportPotato production regulations

Lal Kantha stated that the Food Safety Committee has decided to give greater attention to farmers when seeking solutions to the problems they face, while ensuring that such measures do not unfairly affect consumers. She further noted that, to resolve this issue, the Government, the Department of Agriculture, and farmers should not operate as three separate entities; instead, all parties must act collectively on a single platform, united by a common purpose.

The farmers explained that the cost of potato production has increased significantly, with 40% of the total cost going toward seed purchases. They highlighted the irregular application of fertilizers, the use of low-quality fertilizers and agricultural inputs, declining yields, and a lack of high-quality seed potatoes as the main reasons for the increased production costs. 

Following the discussion of the issues raised, Samarasinghe said that consideration would be given to establishing a mechanism for purchasing potatoes in collaboration with Sathosa, buying potatoes at prices between 200 and 300 rupees per kg, and increasing taxes on imported potatoes.

Lal Kantha further stated that attention would also be given to providing assistance to farmers. To reduce production costs, he said that measures would be taken, in conjunction with farmers and under the supervision of the Department, to prepare a program for producing high-quality fertilizers and agricultural inputs, as well as to ensure the production of superior quality potato seeds.

He added that a registration process would be initiated for farmers to ensure an orderly system of government intervention in potato farming. Short-, medium-, and long-term solutions would be prepared to address farmers’ problems, while immediate solutions would be provided for the issues they currently face.

According to data presented by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, the country’s annual potato consumption is approximately 225,000 metric tons (MT), while domestic production amounts to only between 70,000 and 80,000 MT, with the remainder being imported.