Adequate paddy stocks

Priyanka KURUGALA

The Agricultural Ministry Secretary Shantha Amitiyagoda said that there was no reason to panic since there was adequate stocks of paddy and other crops.

However the Government warns the farming community to protect their crops as much as possible.

According to the Additional Secretary it has been reported to the Ministry that around 50 percent of the Maha harvest were completely destroyed.

Due to this situation the Government expects a seed paddy shortage and of other essential food crops seed.

There is a shortage of one million bushels of seed paddy for the Yala season. However the Government has planned to provide seed paddy to farmers who were affected by the floods.

The Government has discussed with the private sector for its assistance.

The Government has planned to launch this program from the food and agriculture organisation.

According to the latest statistics of the Agricultural Ministry nearly 30 percent of the paddy harvest has been lost to the floods.

The survey indicates that 400,000 acres of paddy were completely destroyed by the floods.

And 250,000 acres of subsidiary food crops such as maize, black gram cowpea and green gram were completely destroyed over 12,000 acres of vegetables and 2,500 acres of fruits too have been destroyed.