The total extent of paddy land in Sri Lanka destroyed by the prevailing drought stood at 51,055 acres as at August 22, the Agriculture Ministry said on Aug 23.
According to a statement issued by the ministry, a total of 51,479 cultivation lands across the country have suffered crop losses.
This was mentioned in the latest report compiled by the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board assessing the crop damages which was handed over to Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera today.
As per the report, the number of farmers affected by the arid weather stands at 46,072, and among them 45,678 are reportedly paddy farmers.
Furthermore, the highest extent of crop damage is reported from the Kurunegala District, which is estimated at 24,647 acres of land. The number of affected farmers in the district has increased to 29,472, the Agricultural Ministry emphasized.
The second highest extent of crop damage is reported from the Udawalawe area. Accordingly, 14,067 acres of cultivation land have suffered damages in this area, while the number of farmers affected is 5,867.
