The National Farmers’ Assembly in Sri Lanka has raised concerns about potential plans to hand over agricultural lands and mineral resources to foreign companies.
Speaking at a district convention in Anuradhapura, Chairman Anuradha Tennakoon said discussions are reportedly underway to grant a U.S.-based company long-term rights—spanning three decades—over the country’s phosphate deposits, a key raw material for fertilizer.
He also pointed to what he described as a gradual push to reduce paddy farming in the country, noting that President Ranil Wickremesinghe recently questioned whether large areas of land should continue to be dedicated to rice cultivation.
Agriculture remains central to Sri Lanka’s economy, employing nearly a quarter of the workforce and forming the backbone of rural livelihoods. Farmers’ groups fear that opening the sector to multinational corporations could threaten food security and limit local control over critical natural resources.
