El Niño Drought: Rs. 300 Million Allocated for Crop Damage Compensation

The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board has allocated Rs. 3,000 million (300 crore) to compensate farmers for crop damage caused by the El Niño-induced drought. The dry weather conditions have affected approximately 8,000 hectares of farmland, impacting around 7,000 to 7,500 farmers across districts including Monaragala, Polonnaruwa, Hambantota, Anuradhapura, and Ampara. Compensation will be paid at a rate of Rs. 100,000 per hectare, with a maximum limit of five hectares per farmer, for crops such as paddy, maize, onions, potatoes, soya, and chili. As of mid-September, the board reported that Rs. 71 million had already been disbursed to 2,712 farmers covering 3,110 hectares.