• Priority to H’tota & Udawalawe farmers 

The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB) is to complete the compensation for crop damages caused during the Yala cultivation season by early next month (November), with farmers in the Hambantota and Udawalawe regions to be given priority during the process, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

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 rain that prevailed in the past few months.

When contacted by The Daily Morning to inquire about the preparations to compensate farmers whose cultivations were damaged, the ministry’s Media Director Dharma Wanninayake said that AAIB officials had met with Subject Minister Mahinda Amaraweera late last week. He said that the relevant officials had informed the minister that the compensation for crop damages could be completed by early November.

“During the compensation programme, priority will be given to farmers in the Hambantota and Udawalawe regions. This is because these areas were among the most affected areas. The farmers in these areas don’t have the means to survive, let alone commence their cultivation activities. Therefore, steps will be taken to compensate them as soon as possible,” he said.

While damages caused to six types of crops, including paddy, maize, chilli, potato, big onion, and soybean would be compensated, the ministry recently stated that there was no possibility of compensating damage caused to crops such as cinnamon, rubber, tea, pepper, and coconut as they do not come under its purview. The ministry had also decided not to compensate farmers who do not commence their cultivation on the dates that had been decided during the relevant seasonal meetings and subsequently experience crop damages due to adverse weather conditions.