The Ministry of Agriculture has requested the farming community to commence the cultivation of paddy by using rainwater, as the Meteorology Department has warned of a severe drought in the 2024 Yala cultivation season.

During a meeting with a group of farmers, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that the Department had warned of a severe drought situation in the 2024 Yala season, and that farmers should therefore be prepared for such.

"We should plan for the 2024 Yala season from now. We need to inform farmers regarding the need to use the water received in the tanks during the Maha season. We have instructed the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Development to prepare a work order for that. We hope to inform all the farmers' representatives in this regard," he said.

Noting that many farmers are waiting for water to be released from the reservoirs to commence cultivation-related activities, Amaraweera said that they should instead work to cultivate paddy with the use of rainwater. "We request farmers to start farming using as much rainwater as possible. By doing so, we can save a large amount of water, and that water can be used during a possible drought."

Speaking further, he said that although it is the responsibility of the farmers' representatives to educate farmers on these matters, it does not happen properly. "Most of the representatives do not communicate  to farmers the messages intended for them by the Agriculture Department and other related institutions. That is a significant impediment to the development of the agriculture sector."

The Minister further said that although it had been estimated that at least 100,000 acres of paddy cultivation would be destroyed due to the drought that prevailed over the past few months, the extent of destroyed cultivation remains at 66,000 acres. "The Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board has informed the Ministry that assessments pertaining to cultivations that have been destroyed due to the drought are over," he noted.