Govt. to provide Rs. 100,000 per hectare in flood relief for farmers

Wednesday, 25 December 2024 00:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Discloses 91,300 acres of paddy fields destroyed completely along with 173 minor irrigation schemes
Department of Agriculture is working to provide seed paddy to re-cultivate 2½ to 3 month paddy varieties or suitable short-term crops in damaged paddy fields
Steps to provide compensation of Rs. 40,000 for paddy, maize, potatoes, chillies, big onions and soybeans from provisions allocated to Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board for 2025
Cabinet Spokesman says no data available on economic impact through crop damage

The Government has decided to provide Rs. 100,000 per hectare for farmers whose crops were damaged by the recent floods countrywide.

The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved the decision to provide farmers who had cultivated paddy, corn, potatoes, big onions, soybeans and chillies.

Announcing the decision, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday revealed that 91,300 acres of paddy fields were completely destroyed, whilst 86,225 acres of paddy fields were partially destroyed and 750 acres of vegetable crops were destroyed in Nuwara Eliya district.

He also disclosed that 173 minor irrigation schemes were completely destroyed, while 1,148 schemes were partially damaged.

The Spokesman said the Department of Agriculture is working to provide the necessary seed paddy to recultivate 2½ to 3 month paddy varieties or suitable short-term crops in the damaged paddy fields.

He also stated that steps will be taken to provide compensation of Rs. 40,000 per acre for paddy cultivation up to a maximum of two hectares under the existing crop insurance scheme and Rs. 40,000 per acre for maize, potatoes, chillies, big onions and soybeans to a maximum of one hectare for the above crops from the provisions allocated to the Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board for the year 2025.

When asked if the Department of Agriculture informed the Cabinet on the economic impact of the floods, Dr. Jayatissa said such information was not shared.

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