• Told to commence cultivations on time and to manage water to the maximum 

The Ministry of Agriculture stated that since the relevant institutions have warned of a dry weather situation early next year (2024), farmers have been instructed to commence cultivation activities within the stipulated time and to manage water at the maximum possible level.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, the Ministry’s Media Director Dharma Wanninayake said that the Meteorological Department and related agencies have warned that there will be dry weather conditions in the beginning of next year. In such a situation, he said that there is a risk of significant crop damage occurring next year. 

Wanninayake further said that steps have already been taken to inform farmers through relevant institutions such as the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Development to avoid such a situation. 

“We cannot do much about a drought as it is a natural disaster. However, we have advised farmers to commence their cultivation on time. If they do so, their cultivation will be in the harvesting stage when a drought occurs next year. We have also instructed them to properly utilise water sources. With the rains these days, all tanks and other water sources are at full capacity. So farmers should manage that water carefully,” he explained.

The Ministry recently stated that more than 60,000 acres of paddy and other crop cultivations belonging to more than 55,000 farmers islandwide had been damaged, particularly due to the drought and heavy rains that prevailed in the past few months. While such damage is in the process of being compensated, the Ministry had decided, in the future, not to compensate farmers who do not commence their cultivations on dates that had been decided during relevant seasonal meetings, and subsequently experience crop damage due to adverse weather conditions.