ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka government has decided to compensate chicken farmers affected by the recent Cyclone Ditwah devastation with Rs. 500 per layer chicken and Rs. 250 per broiler chicken and a maximum of 1 million rupees per farmer, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told the Parliament.
Concluding the supplementary estimate debate, Dissanayake announced that each farmer will be compensated 500 rupees per died layer chicken up to maximum of 2,000 birds or up to 1 million rupees.
He also said each farmer will be compensated 250 rupees per died broiler chicken up to maximum of 4,000 birds or up to 1 million rupees.
Apart from them, he also announced 10,000 rupee compensation for those who had been involved in free ranger backyard chicken farming along with new chucks to resume the same category of chicken farming.
The recent disaster caused by Cyclone Ditwah has dealt a severe blow to Sri Lanka’s chicken farming industry, with floods inundating poultry sheds, washing away feed stocks, and killing thousands of birds across affected districts.
Many small and medium-scale poultry farmers suffered total losses as power cuts disrupted temperature-controlled systems and disease risks surged in waterlogged conditions.
Damage to access roads and supply chains further hampered the transport of day-old chicks, feed, and veterinary supplies, while surviving farmers struggled to maintain operations amid rising costs.
The losses have raised concerns over short-term shortages of chicken meat and eggs, potential price increases, and the long-term viability of an industry that plays a critical role in national food security and rural livelihoods. (Colombo/December 19/2025)
Continue Reading