Govt. to lease underutilised plantation land to returning young migrant workers

Wednesday, 12 August 2026 06:07 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

247 hectares earmarked from State-owned plantations to attract capital and entrepreneurial skills of Sri Lankans with 3 years and more overseas employment experience
Qualifying individuals will be eligible to receive between 1 and 4 hectares each
Usage covers plantation and agricultural projects, plantation-related tourism, livestock development, renewable energy projects, factory-based manufacturing and freshwater fisheries

By Charumini de Silva

The Government has approved a program to lease 247 hectares of underutilised plantation land on a long-term basis to young entrepreneurs, with priority given to Sri Lankans who have worked abroad and contributed foreign exchange to the country.

The announcement yesterday was of an approval by Cabinet its meeting on 12 January 2026. It aims to encourage overseas-employed Sri Lankans to invest in the plantation sector and related economic activities while making productive use of underutilised State-owned lands.

A key objective of the initiative is to attract the capital, experience and entrepreneurial skills of Sri Lankans who have gained overseas employment experience.

Priority will be given to individuals who have worked abroad for three years or more during the past 10 years, as well as those who have already been employed as foreign workers for over three years.

The Plantations and Community Infrastructure Ministry developed the program’s implementation methodology following discussions with relevant stakeholders.

Under the approved program, a total of 247 hectares will be made available to suitable investors through a formal procurement process. The land comprises 117 hectares owned by the Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation (SLSPC), 88 hectares owned by the Janatha Estates Development Board (JEDB) and 42 hectares owned by Elkaduwa Plantation Ltd.

Individual investors will be eligible to receive between one and four hectares of underutilised land on a long-term lease, subject to the selection process and program criteria. The maximum age for applicants has been set at 50 years.

The allocation of land will be carried out through a formal procurement process, with investors selected according to the criteria established under the approved program.

The initiative will support a broad range of investment activities including; plantation and agricultural projects, plantation-related tourism, livestock development, hydropower generation, solar energy projects, factory-based manufacturing and freshwater fisheries.

Investments in other plantation-related economic activities and innovative business ventures will also be considered under the program.