Four million acres of paddy fields destroyed

Tennakoon KULASEKERA

Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena said yesterday that approximately four million acres of paddy fields have been destroyed due to heavy rains and arrangements are being made to cultivate paddy in the middle season in between Yala and Maha seasons to prevent possible shortage of paddy.

The Minister stressed that black marketeers are not allowed to increase the rice prices by creating an artificial shortage as sufficient stocks of paddy are available in the Government paddy stores. He speculated that of the four million acres of paddy fields now under water about a million acres could be saved if the rain ceased soon.