Sri Lanka, March 23 -- Sri Lanka's agriculture sector is at risk of a significant decline due to rising production costs triggered by the recent fuel price increase, Chairman of the National Farmers' Union Anuradha Tennakoon has warned.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Tennakoon said farmers are already feeling the impact during the ongoing harvest season, with diesel and petrol prices rising by Rs. 80 to Rs. 90.

"When fuel prices increase, the cost of production also rises. Owners of paddy harvesting machines and other agricultural equipment say they cannot continue at previous rates. Service charges are expected to increase by around Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 3,000 per hour," he said.

He said that the cost of using a paddy harvesting machine cou...