SRI LANKA'S FOOD PRODUCTION SEES UNSTEADY PATH

Sri Lanka's fisheries sector, crop cultivation and animal husbandry see an unstable path with some sectors seeing a shift in production for the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year due to adverse weather and market conditions, according to the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS).

- By HUZEFA ALIASGER

Sri Lanka's marine fishing and marine aquaculture sector has seen a drop in growth rate of -5.2 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and the freshwater sector has seen a decline in growth of -34.8 per cent in the 2nd quarter of 2025.

The marine fishing and marine aquaculture activity contributed Rs. 22 billion in value added to the total GDP at constant price, and the share of the GDP was reported as 0.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2025. According to the reports from the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, coastal fish production has increased by 2.1 per cent and deep-sea fish production decreased by 13.1 per cent compared to the same quarter of 2024, resulting in an overall decrease of 5.3 per cent in marine fish production.

Freshwater Fishing contributed Rs. 3,797 million to the total GDP at constant price, representing a 0.1 per cent share in the second quarter of 2025.