### Sri Lanka’s Agriculture: From Welfare to Strategic Industrial Engine 📈

• The Shift: The sector must transition from "survival politics" to a long-term industrial strategy. Historically treated as peripheral, agriculture is now positioned as a strategic economic driver rather than a welfare sector. • Core Requirements: To achieve national transformation, the report identifies five critical pillars: Ten-year policy stability with bipartisan commitment. Structured agricultural financing through state and private banks. Integration of mechanization and agri-technology. Export-oriented value addition strategies. Transparent deployment of World Bank and ADB funding. • Private Sector Success: Entities like the Araliya Rice and Ratna Group serve as proof of concept. Their vertical integration and industrial-scale processing demonstrate that agriculture can generate significant wealth and employment when managed as a serious enterprise. • Food Security & Exports: Beyond individual success, the goal is to build a resilient national food bank and position Sri Lanka as a competitive exporter in regional markets. • Governance: Multilateral grants must be used to build sustainable production ecosystems rather than isolated projects. The focus is on institutional accountability and measurable productivity benchmarks to ensure long-term food security.