Over 375,000 acres of farmlands have been flooded due to the inclement weather. Crop damage will be assessed when the water recedes in the flood-hit farmlands, Agriculture and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB) sources said.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Namal Karunaratne told the Sunday Observer yesterday that compensation for crops due to the inclement weather will be paid in due course.
It has been decided to pay compensation for paddy, maize, potato, soyabean, onion and chilli cultivations that were affected, the Deputy Minister said.
He said that the compensation will be provided subject to a maximum of Rs.40,000 per acre.
The Ministry will also look into the possibility of providing compensation to upcountry and low country vegetable and fruit farmers in the near future after assessing the damage caused by floods. A discussion is also under way to provide free seed paddy to farmers, he added.
