Over 49,000 acres damaged due to extreme weather

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Department of Agrarian Development states that due to the heavy rains, 49,035 acres of paddy lands have been damaged, in addition to the highest damage being reported from the Jaffna District. About 10,500 acres of paddy fields in the district have been damaged, the department said. It is estimated that 5,00 acres of paddy lands in the Puttalam District have been damaged, and 5,800 acres in the Kilinochchi District have also been affected by the heavy rains. The Department of Agrarian Development mentioned that the calculation of compensation for the damaged plantations is currently in progress with the intervention of the Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board. Accordingly, the Director General of the Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board, Panduka Weerasinghe, said that when the land is prepared for cultivation, farmers will be provided with seed paddy and fertilizer and will be able to resume cultivation.