Sri Lanka: Agri Ministry Plans to Increase Paddy Yield/ha to 5.5 Metric Tonnes in Next 10 Years

According to the Ministry, efforts have been made to expand paddy cultivation by focusing on every aspect, including seed production, soil testing, the effective use of organic and chemical fertilizers, the introduction of new technology to paddy cultivation, crop marketing and preservation, and the use of insecticides and herbicides.

Since April 2021, the use of chemical fertilizer has been prohibited in Sri Lanka's agriculture sector, primarily paddy cultivation. Since then, many farmers have been reported to have stopped cultivating their fields, resulting in harvest failures in at least two cultivating seasons.

The ban was lifted in November 2021, and farmers have since received fertilizer, despite the issues that have arisen as a result of the current economic crisis.

A programme has been launched by Director General Malathi Parasuraman with the goal of increasing yield per hectare to 4.7 MT in three years, 5.1 MT in five years, and 5.5 MT in ten years.

The Western Province currently has the lowest reported yield of paddy cultivation, so steps should be taken to introduce different varieties of paddy to get a high yield from the Western Province and the wet zone, according to Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, who took part in a discussion about the aforementioned programme.

Among the districts in Sri Lanka that grow paddy, Ampara, Polonnaruwa, and Kurunegala provide the first, second, and third highest amounts of paddy harvest, respectively.