Northern paddy lands produce record harvest

A record harvest has been reaped from paddy lands in the North during the Maha season, for the first time since the end to the conflict.

Around 110,000 acres had been cultivated in the North with a harvest of 80,000 metric tonnes of paddy expected.

The farmers have commenced gathering their harvest and the Government is planning to purchase 10,000 metric tons of paddy from the North.

 “Already 4,400 metric tons have been purchased from the North which is the biggest quantity since the ending of the conflict,” Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) Manager (Anuradhapura) Bandula Kumara said.

He said paddy purchases have already been made from seven centres in Mannar, Vavuniya, Killinochchi and Mullaithivu, adding that while paddy cultivation in Mannar during the last Maha season was confined to 23,000 acres, 40,000 acres were cultivated this time. The PMB purchased 5,000 kgs from each farmer in the Mannar District.

Paddy cultivation is being carried out extensively in Murunkan, Nanattan, Alkadiveli, Vedithalthivu and Rathankulam in the Mannar district. The Government has so far purchased 1.7 million kgs of paddy from these areas known as the rice bowl of Mannar, he said. During the time of LTTE terrorism, paddy cultivation was virtually abandoned in these areas where a tax of 50 cents was levied by the terrorists on farmers for each kilo of paddy and Rs. 1 per kilo on traders who purchased the paddy.