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- Total amount spent by Govt is Rs. 20 Bn
- Govt has increased subsidy per farmer to Rs. 25,000
- Over 497,000 hectares are being cultivated
- Over 625,000 paddy farmers in 25 districts benefitted
Agrarian Development Commissioner General U.B. Rohana Rajapaksha said the Government has already credited Rs. 9.5 billion to farmers’ accounts under the State programme of providing fertiliser subsidy for paddy farmers.
He said that 625,132 paddy farmers in 25 districts across the country are eligible for this subsidy and 497,325 hectares are being cultivated under this programme. The total amount spent by the Government for the fertiliser subsidy is Rs. 20 billion.
The highest number of beneficiaries of this fertiliser subsidy is reported from the Ampara District, and the amount provided is Rs. 1,723 million. The second highest number of beneficiaries is reported from the Anuradhapura district; the amount provided is Rs. 1,244 million.
Paddy farmers in the Batticaloa District have been given Rs. 118.3 million and paddy farmers in the Polonnaruwa District have been provided Rs. 911 million. Paddy farmers in Trincomalee District have been given Rs. 833 million.
The current Government took steps to increase the fertiliser subsidy to Rs. 25,000 and provided Rs. 15,000 under the first phase and Rs. 10,000 under the second phase.
Accordingly, the number of farmers who have been fully provided with fertiliser subsidies of Rs. 25,000 each is 314,963. The total amount provided is Rs. 6,291 million. The area of cultivated paddy land is 251,669 hectares.
Buddhika Imbulana
