The All Island Farmers Federation (AIFF) stated that the proposed Agricultural lands Act and the paddy lands Act proposed by the 2018 budget cannot be implemented within Sri Lanka.
Representatives of the AIFF held a press briefing in Dambulla earlier today (15), to discuss the impact the 2018 budget will have on the farming community of Sri Lanka.
The AIFF stated that even though the government proposes to amend the 1958 paddy lands Act and the 1973 Agricultural lands Act, none of the entailed clauses in either of them have been successfully implemented within Sri Lanka. Instead the 1979 Agrarian Services Act and the 2000 Agrarian Development Act have been enacted in their place the AIFF said.
The AIFF further stated that the government allocated Rs.66,317 million for agriculture through the 2017 budget and that budget for 2018 has allocated only Rs.23,789 million for the next year.
Accordingly the AIFF expressed their displeasure over the reduction of funding provided to the agricultural community by the government.
The leader of the AIFF further expressed his contempt by stating that the government should provide more concessions to the farming community in Sri Lanka without further burdening them with monetary hardships.
