The present primary seed paddy production capacity of Department of Agriculture which is 61% to be increased up to 91% by 2024.

Department of Agriculture mentioned that farmers should use seed paddy which can generate a high-quality harvest if the paddy harvest per hectare in Sri Lanka to be increased.

Still, majority of farmers are accustomed to use a part of their previously cultivated paddy in a season as seed paddy. It is noted that the generated harvest is gradually decreasing because of using the same variety of paddy for cultivation in several seasons.

Therefore, Department of Agriculture has taken measures to increase the seed paddy production of farms under them to provide advanced seed paddy which will able a higher harvest for farmers. Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera Minister of Agriculture has instructed Department of Agriculture to take steps to increase the present primary seed paddy production of 61% up to 91% before the end of next year.

For the National paddy production, 13 lakhs of hectares are cultivated as 8 lakhs of hectares per year for Maha season & 5 lakhs of hectares per year for Yala season. The amount of certified seeds needed for this matter is 65 lakhs of bushels. There is a need of a 161,500 bushels of primary seed paddy if this amount to be produced in full.

At present, 11 government seed paddy production farms are engaged in primary seed paddy production activities.

Accordingly, primary seed production of government was at a level of about 1 lakh of bushels during the 2007-2009 time period. By multiplying said primary seeds, the amount of certified seeds which was generated is 61% of national need.

Primary seed paddy production is able to reach up to the level of 150,000 bushels by 2019-2021 time period because of the development of infrastructure facilities & usage of various technical methods by urgent farm development programs & other development programs. Accordingly, Department of Agriculture stated that the primary seed paddy production was able to gain a growth of about 50% by 2019-2021 relative to 2007-2009 three years.

Meanwhile, the amount of certified seeds generated by multiplying the primary seed paddy produced in 2019-2021 is sufficient to satisfy 91% of National need. Department of Agriculture mentioned that by developing infrastructure facilities further needed by seed paddy production farms, it will be able to achieve the primary seed paddy production target amount of 162,500 bushels by the time period of 2022-2024.

The said department mentioned that by providing produced primary seeds formally & efficiently to government & private sectors which produces certified seed paddy, it is planned to increase the 15% of national need which is produced by the seed certification procedure up to 25%.