More areas under paddy cultivation in Jaffna

Jaffna special correspondent

Jaffna farmers have intensified paddy cultivation in 9,369 hectares in the Jaffna district.

A total of 8,752 hectares of land was brought under cultivation last year during the Maha season. This year with favourable rainfall and issuing of high yield variety of paddy and fertiliser, farmers are prompted to make the best use of fallow lands.

Farmers are looking into cultivating more land following the attractive price for paddy in the open market as well as the new guaranteed price for paddy offered by the Government, sources said. With the assistance of Food and Agricultural Organisation’s fund, 2,400 bushels of seed paddy have been distributed among 14 Agricultural Instructors’ divisions.

The agricultural instructors have distributed the seed paddy to 800 cultivators at the rate of three bushels per cultivator. Varieties of AT 353, BW 351, 361 and BG 250 seed paddy have been issued to cultivators to obtain the best yield. Apart from this seed paddy cultivated by 22 farmers has also been issued by Agricultural instructors.

Farmers hope to get a very rich yield this year with the favourable rainfall.