The Department of Agrarian Development emphasize that even a single farmer in Sri Lanka has not kept away from farming during the past few years

The Ministry of Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation instructed the Dept. of Agrarian Development to report him immediately regarding the actual situation of allegations made by certain individuals and groups that farmers are refraining from paddy cultivation.

Accordingly, the Department of Agrarian Development stresses that no even a single farmer cultivating paddy has been refrained from forming during the period from Yala Season 2019 to Yala Season of 2022.

In Yala season of 2019 a land area of 308,028 hectare of paddy had been cultivated while the number of farmers were 470,286.

In Maha Season of 2019/20 a land area of 673,928 hectares of paddy lands had been cultivated and the number of farmers were 901,295

In Yala Season of 2020 a land area of 513,755 hectares of paddy had been cultivated while the number of farmers stood at 840,487.

In Maha Season of 2020/21 a land area of 777,915 hectares had been cultivated while the number of paddy farmers were 1,152,503

Similarly, in Yala Season of 2021 a land area of 256,698 hectares of paddy had been cultivated while the number of farmers engage in paddy cultivation were 833,892.

A land area of 512,000 hectares of paddy have been cultivated during Yala Season of this year 2022. Following the Government’s Urea distribution programme commenced, 490,515 farmers have been engaging in paddy cultivation and extend of paddy cultivated by them is 304,734 hectares which being the cultivated area commenced after distribution of Urea from first week of June.

However, before the issuing of Urea, only 248,000 hectares of paddy land had been cultivated. Accordingly, The Department of Agrarian Development has pointed out there is not any reduction of paddy cultivation extent or the number of farmers engaged in paddy cultivation. Further, the highest number of paddy land cultivated during a single Yala Season has been reported in Yala Season of 2022. Therefore, allegations made by certain individuals and groups to this effect are baseless.

With the paddy farmers being aged, they have taken steps to entrust the farming to their children. Therefore, apart from certain farmers having left paddy farming due to their being aged or death, the allegation that farmers have been refraining from paddy farming is totally false and baseless.