Plantations & Agriculture

With a land area of more than 65,000 sq km, Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector is characterised by small-scale farming and a tropical climate that is highly variable. Agricultural output comprises rice, fruit, vegetables and livestock primarily for domestic consumption, and export-focused products such as tea, rubber and coconuts. Around 55% of land is used for agriculture. Traditionally the backbone of the economy, agriculture’s share of GDP has steadily declined over the decades, from 30.4% in 1975 to around 8% in 2015. While Sri Lanka is moving towards an urbanised manufacturing and services economy, the rural agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries are the source of income for more than 2.1m Sri Lankans, the 2016 Labour Force Survey reported. This chapter contains an interview with Navin Dissanayake, Minister of Plantation Industries.