Country expected to produce highest ever paddy output this year

Minister Aluthgamage addressing the Committee

The total paddy output for 2021 would be five million metric tons and it would be the highest volume of paddy produced in recorded Sri Lankan history, Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage told the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Agriculture recently.

The Maha paddy cultivation of 742,000 acres was expected to bring in a total harvest of over 3.2 million metric tons and the Yala a harvest of 1.8 million metric tons.

“We will change the way we purchase paddy from farmers. We will establish a system where the farmer is paid on the spot. We want to minimise the involvement of middlemen with this,” the Minister said.

Minister Aluthgamage said that farmers produced enough paddy to feed all Sri Lankans but middlemen caused artificial shortages, the Minister said.

“What will happen if the middlemen start doing the same with other crops. We will also provide funds to modernize all agrarian service centres countrywide. We have asked officials to inform of outstanding issues at these centres. Already we have distributed Rs. 4.2 million to centres in the Gampaha district.”

The government is also gearing up to introduce an agricultural insurance scheme. Six crops will be insured free of charge and those who farm other crops can join the scheme by paying Rs. 600 a month, the Minister said.

Minister Aluthgamage added that those who joined the Ministry of Agriculture should receive comprehensive training and that aspect had been ignored in recent years. Proper training of officials was needed to take new technologies to farmers, he said.

The state-owned Colombo Commercial Fertilizers Ltd now produced organic fertilizer and the government would start a comprehensive scheme to encourage farmers to use organic fertilizer, Minister Aluthgamage said.