The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation, has planned to implement an expedited compensation process as instructed by the subject Minister, for crop damages caused by Cyclone Ditwah and floods that affected all 25 districts of the island.

Issuing a statement, the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board said that through this process, damages to compulsory insured crops such as paddy, maize, big onions, potatoes, chilies, and soya beans will be assessed and compensation payments provided.

As it is currently not possible to obtain a clear understanding of the extent of damage, farmers are requested to record the damage in the reporting books available at Agrarian Service Centres immediately after floodwaters recede. If floodwaters do not recede, farmers should inform the respective Agrarian Service Centre Officer or Agricultural Research and Production Assistant.

Farmers have one month to report damages, and are urged to act promptly to secure compensation. Awareness campaigns are being conducted through Agrarian Service Centres across the island, district offices of the Insurance Board, and audiovisual media.

In addition, damages to other crops should also be recorded in the reporting books maintained at the relevant Agrarian Service Centres.

For guidance and inquiries regarding damage reporting, farmers can contact the Agricultural Insurance Board’s emergency hotline: 1918.

The Department of Agrarian Development and the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board will jointly carry out this compensation process. (Newswire)

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A Committee comprising government officials and experts has been appointed to seek and implement sustainable solutions to manage and control the damages caused by wild animals to food production in the agriculture and plantation sectors, through a scientific approach. 

The Committee, appointed under the leadership of the President’s Secretary, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, held its first meeting at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.  

The main objective of the Committee is to conduct a scientific study on the agricultural damage caused by wild animals and to implement short, medium and long-term action plans. In addition to drafting national policies and legislation, the Committee will also coordinate the provision of necessary human, physical and financial resources.

During the meeting, it was emphasized that decisions should be made by recognizing wildlife as a part of the natural ecosystem. It was also noted that any solution must acknowledge the right of wild animals to their natural habitats. The need to implement a rapid action programme for high-risk districts was also discussed.

Sharing his views, Prof. Ashoka Dangolla from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Peradeniya, highlighted that based on research conducted over more than 15 years on the Toque macaque, it is possible to arrive at successful solutions through a scientific approach. He also pointed out that various methods can be used to control animal populations.

Director General of Wildlife Conservation, M.S.L.R.C. Marasinghe, stated that a multi-pronged approach is necessary to address this issue. He emphasised the importance of animal censuses to obtain standard data on animal densities and underscored that the matter must be approached scientifically, beyond social perceptions.

It was also decided that gathering inputs from all stakeholders, including academics, environmentalists, wildlife specialists, officials, and members of the public affected by wildlife conflict, is essential.

Among those present were Senior Additional Secretary to the President Mr. Kapila Janaka Bandara, Ministry Secretaries including Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, Ravi Seneviratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration Mr. S. Aloka Bandara, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation Mr D.P. Wickramasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation and Community Infrastructure Mr. Prabath Chandrakeerthi, Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration Ms. Ayesha Jinasena, public officials including Director General of Department of Wildlife Conservation,  defence sector officers, university professors and the members of the Committee. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Agriculture says the report of the islandwide animal census has helped identify the areas with the highest number of crop-destroying animals.

Addressing the media today, ministry officials said the report reveals there are 5.17 million Toque monkeys (Rilawa), 1.74 million Grey Langurs (Wandura),  2.66 million Giant Squirrels, and 4.74 million peacocks in Sri Lanka. 

According to the census, the highest number of Toque monkeys has been reported in the Kandy, Kegalle, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, and Kurunegala Districts. 

The census reports that the highest number of Grey Langurs has been reported in districts such as Anuradhapura, Hambantota, and Polonnaruwa.

Giant Squirrels were largely found in the Kurunegala and Monaragala Districts, while peacocks have been mostly reported in the Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, and Monaragala Districts. 

The Agriculture Ministry officials further said that the crop-destroying animals were found in large numbers in the Kegalle, Galigamuwa, and Mawanella District Secretariat areas in the Kegalle District.

They further said that in the Kandy District, large numbers of these animals were recorded in the Pahathahewaheta, Medadumbara, and Hatharaliyedda District Secretariat areas.

The details were revealed after the Agriculture Ministry made public the islandwide animal census, which was conducted on 15 March this year. 

The public was given a five-minute window, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:05 a.m., to count these animals on their properties using a designated form.

The animal census was conducted to help authorities devise strategies to mitigate the impact on crops. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Agriculture has taken the necessary measures to conduct a census of crop-damaging animals on Saturday (15 Mar).

According to a form distributed for this purpose, five minutes have been provided for farmers to count such animals on their properties.

Per the form, the animal census will be conducted from 08.00 am to 08.05 am on 15 March 2025. 

Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation revealed that Rs. 2.4 million was spent on printing documents related to the animal census, with each census paper costing approximately 30 cents.

According to the Ministry, a total of Rs. 2,478,000, including VAT, was spent on printing the census papers, adding that the Government Printing Department has been instructed to produce about 7 million such documents for the census. 

It is also reported that an operations room has been established within the premises of the Agriculture Ministry to conduct the animal census on Saturday more accurately and efficiently.

A special committee has also been appointed to oversee the animal census, on crop-damaging animals, such as monkeys, giant squirrels and peacocks. (Newswire)

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The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board has announced that compensation for crop damage reported during the 2024 ‘Yala’ season will be fully disbursed by 05 January 2025.  

Issuing a statement, the Board said arrangements are underway to compensate farmers for crop damage incurred during the 2024/2025 ‘Maha’ season as well.

The Board revealed compensation is to be provided for crop damage caused by floods, droughts, and wild elephant attacks during the ‘Yala’ season.

Significant damage was reported to paddy fields and other crops across the country between March and October this year.

Compensation totalling nearly Rs. 80 million has been disbursed to 80% of affected farmers to date, while all remaining payments would be credited directly to farmers’ bank accounts by the January deadline, it added.

The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board noted that compensation for farmers for crop damage incurred during the ‘Maha’ season is expected to commence early in January. (Newswire)

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