Measures are underway to provide nonrefundable financial assistance of up to Rs. 20,000 to the farmers who are cultivating paddy for the ‘Maha Season’, the President’s Media Division said.
According to the PMD, Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera said that the financial grant is being provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at the request of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Accordingly, an allowance of Rs.10,000 will be given to small-scale paddy farmers who have engaged in farming activities on lands to the extent of one hectare or less.
Minister Amaraweera said that an allowance of Rs. 20,000 will be given to farmers engaged in paddy cultivation on lands over one hectare.
This financial assistance will be provided only to the paddy farmers, and the money will be directly credited to their accounts.
The minister further said that the amount of paddy to be cultivated during the Maha Season is 800,000 hectares and it is planned to give this allowance to all the paddy farmers to buy MOP fertilizer.
Minister Amaraweera said that the amount proposed to be spent for this purpose is Rs.08 billion and 1.2 million farming families will be entitled to this benefit. (NewsWire)