The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is urging rapid assistance for thousands of Sri Lankan smallholder farmers and fishers reeling from the devastation of Cyclone Ditwah, warning that slow recovery efforts could jeopardize the nation’s food security well into next year.
Fresh assessments show the storm inflicted sweeping damage across key agricultural regions.
Government figures indicate that 108,000 hectares of paddy fields were destroyed, along with 11,000 hectares of Other Field Crops and 6,600 hectares of maize, losses experts say could significantly disrupt upcoming harvest cycles.
FAO officials say the scale of destruction has left many rural families without the means to restart production.
Boats, irrigation systems, farm tools and essential inputs were washed away or rendered unusable, sharply reducing farmers’ and fishers’ ability to get back to work.
FAO Representative Vimlendra Sharan said the weeks ahead will be critical.
“Timely, coordinated support is essential to help rural communities rebuild their livelihoods and stabilize national food supplies. Without rapid intervention the shock to agricultural production could extend deep into 2025,” he said.
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