President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that future incentives will be introduced to encourage export diversification and the development of value-added products. 

The President further said that the role of governments is to support industries rather than hinder them and he underscored the necessity of consulting with relevant sectors during the regulation drafting process, ensuring sufficient time is allocated for their execution.

The President made these remarks yesterday (29) at the Presidential Secretariat during the 2026 pre-budget discussion with private sector representatives from the agriculture and food & beverage sectors, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).

The meeting focused on providing facilities for farmers, exports, tax concessions, recycling and the legal environment affecting the sector. 

There was also extensive discussion on ensuring a continuous supply of quality agricultural and food products to consumers, as well as the challenges faced by businesses, with participants sharing their views and proposals.

The President noted that although producers typically set product prices, in the agricultural sector, it is frequently the consumers who establish these prices, primarily because of inadequate mechanism within the industry. 

He also pointed out the lack of a systematic approach for distributing products to consumers, emphasizing the necessity for enhanced cooperation between the government and the private sector to address these challenges, the statement said.

He further explained that the government is focusing on securing full private sector support to expand markets for agricultural produce, dairy and livestock products. While the responsibility of adding value rests with entrepreneurs, the President stated that the government intends to introduce a new framework to facilitate this process.

Attention was also drawn to the livestock industry due to its challenges in achieving productivity, primarily because it has not evolved into a well-structured small and medium-scale sector. Discussions were held on strengthening livestock production and formalizing distribution systems, it added.  

The discussion was attended by Secretary to the Treasury Dr.Harshana Suriyapperuma, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponsu, Chairman of the Export Development Board Mangala Wijesinghe, officials from the Ministry of Finance and several leading business representatives from the agriculture and food and beverage sector.

--PMD--