Thursday Sep 04, 2025
Thursday Sep 04, 2025
Monday, 1 September 2025 06:38 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
President Anura Kumara Disanayake said that the Government aims to provide incentives, including tax concessions, to the agriculture and food and beverage industries to support export diversification and the development of value-added products, the President’s Media Division (PMD) announced on Saturday.
President Disanayake made these remarks at a pre-Budget 2026 meeting with private sector representatives of the agriculture and food and beverage sectors.
He added that the role of governments was 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 PMD said the meeting focused on providing facilities for farmers, export growth, 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 due to inadequate mechanisms within the industry. He also noted the lack of a systematic approach for distributing products to consumers, emphasising the necessity for enhanced cooperation between the Government and the private sector to address these challenges.
President Disanayake further explained that the Government was 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 formalising distribution systems.
The discussion was attended by Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russel Aponsu, Export Development Board Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe, officials from the Finance Ministry, and several leading business representatives from the agriculture and food and beverage sectors.
