Proposal on compensation for farmers to be presented before Cabinet over next two weeks – Minister

The Agriculture Minister’s proposal pertaining to the obtaining of compensation for farmers whose crops were destroyed due to the recent weather conditions is reportedly due to be submitted before the Cabinet over the next two weeks.

Accordingly, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera stated that while the cabinet proposal pertaining to compensating those farmers whose crops were lost due to the drought has already been prepared, data regarding those farmers who lost their harvest due to the torrential rains are also currently being gathered.

On Sunday (10 Sep.), Amaraweera revealed that officials of the Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB) have been instructed to provide compensation to those farmers whose crops were damaged by both the extreme arid weather conditions, and the heavy rains that followed, emphasising that hundreds of acres of paddy fields that were ready for harvest were destroyed due to the torrential rains.

Meanwhile, potato farmers too, have expressed their distress, claiming to be in dire straits owing to the low purchase price rates for bulk-buying.

They further explained that due to the continuous release of imported potatoes into the market, many vendors are hesitant to buy locally-manufactured potatoes.