Farmers and agricultural unions in Sri Lanka are pressing the government to expedite compensation for crop losses caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Although the government has extended official assurances to support the agricultural sector’s recovery, many farmers said they have yet to receive the funds necessary to resume cultivation for the ongoing Maha season.
At a press conference in Anuradhapura, Punchirala Ratnayake, chairman of the Maha Irrigation Farmers’ Organization, urged authorities to release compensation immediately.
He said thousands of smallholder farmers remain financially strained, unable to clear debris, purchase seeds, or prepare their fields for replanting.
U.K. Semasinghe, chairman of the Small and Medium Scale Rice Mill Owners’ Association, warned that the delay in compensation could trigger a significant rice shortage in the coming months.
Cyclone Ditwah, which hit in late November, caused widespread damage to crops and farmland, affecting both large and small-scale farmers.
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