Overview of Agriculture sector in Sri Lanka

The agricultural sector of Sri Lanka is still one of the predominant sectors in the economy. Its growth and its setbacks are directly reflected in all macro and micro economic variables as well as in the social and political sphere although its contribution has come down to only 8% of the GDP. Agriculture labour constitutes nearly 25% of total labour force and agriculture is the primary livelihood of rural households. Agricultural exports tea, rubber, coconut and other comprise of about 20% of the total earnings from exports. Import substituting food crop sector is mainly associated with cultivation of paddy (rice) and other subsidiary crops for domestic consumption. Agriculture also contributes largely as a raw material for main manufacturing and industrial sector.