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Friday, November 13 2026
Friday, November 13 2026
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake wants to make the economy finger-licking good, turning the country into a chicken-exporting hub and boosting its currently paltry earnings from meat processing.
The President, who is also the Finance Minister, proposed in his five-hour Budget speech that funding be provided for a feasibility study on establishing chicken-processing zones in the Western and North-Western provinces. Colombo could eventually become a major supplier to KFC outlets across South Asia.
Dissanayake also wants to spend Rs. 1,800 million importing high-quality buffaloes, dairy cattle, pigs and sheep for breeding.
The meaty proposal could see the country’s milk production surge -- or repeat the disaster that followed Sri Lanka’s decision in 2010 to import thousands of dairy cows from Australia and New Zealand.
The imported animals suffered very high mortality rates because of poor farm-management practices and the unsuitability of the climate for the imported breeds. Those cattle imports are now under investigation by the Bribery Commission.
Another jumbo proposal in the Budget is the allocation of Rs. 5,000 million for a new elephant transit home. The 15-acre facility, intended for stranded baby elephants, is proposed for Polonnaruwa, an area where human–elephant conflict is acute.
A treatment and rehabilitation centre for injured marine animals, including dolphins and turtles, is also proposed at Dodanduwa, near the tourist strip of Hikkaduwa.
Dengue, which poses a threat to tourism and is a public-health emergency in many parts of the country, particularly Colombo and Gampaha, has also received attention in the Budget.
For the first time, the Budget proposes a Rs. 400 million allocation for the Wolbachia dengue-control method, which has been used in Australia.
Dissanayake has generously offered “appreciation awards” of Rs. 100 million for an Olympic gold medal, Rs. 100 million for a World Athletics Championships gold, Rs. 75 million for a Commonwealth gold, Rs. 50 million for an Asian gold and Rs. 15 million for a SAARC gold.
With the next Olympics scheduled for 2028, the Government faces no immediate risk of having to fork out cash for medals in the coming year. (Colombo/Nov13/2026)
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