ECONOMYNEXT – Cyclone Ditwah has fully destroyed 108,000 hectares of rice paddies, 11,000 other field crops and 6,600 hectares of maize, Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, DP Wickremesinghe has said.
About 6,143 hectares of vegetables have been destroyed.
Out of 5,893 hectares of upcountry vegetables 2,613 fully destroyed.
Out of 8,990 of low country vegetables, 3,530 fully destroyed.
Out of 27,600 hectares of other field crops, 11,000 hectares have been fully destroyed.
Out of 87,244 hectares of maize, 6,600 have been destroyed.
Rice farmers had sowed 615,000 hectares of 870,000 hectares planned for the main Maha 2025/26 season. Of which 108,000 have been fully destroyed.
The government is compensating farmers for the funds used in cultivation so far and the cost of re-starting the crop Wickremesinghe said.
Rice, maize and other field crop farmers would be given 150,000 rupees per hectare and vegetable farmers 200,000 per hectare.
Other officials said partially destroyed field will be surveyed and damage will be separately assessed.
Farmers had already started cultivation. Rice farmers in particular are used to flooding and sometimes seen up to three floods in some years. However fields can be re-cultivated since the cyclone came early in the season.
If some farmers have difficulties in getting through to officials, they can call the hotline 1,918 and arrangements will be made. Some government officials are also in distress after floods in some areas, he said.
Money will be given through the previous mechanisms. (Colombo/Dec08/2025)
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