COLOMBO, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka plans to extend cultivation subsidies to farmers growing 12 additional food crops on paddy lands, local outlet Ada Derana reported Monday, citing Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne.
The proposed expansion will, for the first time in Sri Lanka's history, allow eligible farmers cultivating crops other than paddy to receive the same subsidy amount currently provided for paddy cultivation, said the deputy minister.
Karunaratne added that the government had already begun distributing cultivation subsidies at twice the rate provided before it took office.
Earlier, the Cabinet approved a subsidy of 30,000 rupees (about 90 U.S. dollars) per hectare for paddy and other eligible field crops grown on paddy lands during the 2026-27 Maha cultivation season, covering a maximum of two hectares per farmer. The program was estimated to cost 16 billion rupees.
Karunaratne subsequently announced an increase to 60,000 rupees per hectare for 13 crops, including paddy, according to local media reports on Oct. 15. ■
