Vegetable farmers have voiced strong opposition to the government’s plan to hand over the management of Economic Centres to private companies, arguing that the move will not benefit them in any way. They criticized the government for failing to fulfill its earlier promise of supporting farmers by reducing production costs.
The farmers noted that 18 Economic Centres across several areas were originally established to provide a fair and remunerative market for their produce while supplying vegetables to consumers at reasonable prices. These centres were managed by a trust comprising the District Secretary and the respective divisional secretaries.
R.M.R. Rohana Ramanayake, convener of the Welimada–Uva Paranagama Farmer Association, said that in the past, the Department of Marketing Development (MARKFED) helped ensure farmers received fair prices, with private traders purchasing produce directly from farms.
He added that while the Economic Centres were intended to streamline markets for vegetable farmers, the system was undermined by middlemen, leaving farmers struggling with high production costs and limited access to profitable markets. “When this government was in opposition, they campaigned heavily for farmers, and we supported them. Yet now we have been left in the lurch. The government even promised to purchase potatoes at Rs. 250 per kilo,” he said.
Ramanayake further pointed out that private management of the Economic Centres would not benefit farmers. He highlighted the impact of potato imports, which are sold at Rs. 110–120 per kilo, undercutting local potato prices of Rs. 170, despite production costs exceeding Rs. 220 per kilo plus transportation expenses. “We are facing a serious crisis,” he said.
S.A.R. Bandusena, President of the Keppetipola Trader Association, added that the government has neglected its commitments to farmers, and handing over the Economic Centres to a private company would worsen the situation. He emphasized that the Trader Association strongly protests the proposed move.
