Farmers from the Batticaloa region are urging the Sri Lankan government to provide compensation following the severe destruction of their paddy fields due to relentless heavy rainfall and flooding.
The Paduvankarai area has been particularly affected, as torrential rains led to the opening of sluice gates, submerging vast agricultural lands and devastating the anticipated harvest. The persistent flooding has left farmers struggling to salvage their crops, with harvested paddy displaying black spots, reduced weight, and excessive moisture, resulting in significantly diminished yields.
Farmers have expressed their distress, noting that while they previously harvested 30 sacks per acre, this year they are receiving just 15 sacks—a 50% drop in yield. Many have taken out loans against their jewellery from banks in order to purchase essential farming inputs such as oil, manure, and fertilisers, but are now unable to recover their costs due to the extensive damage to their crops.
In light of these hardships, the farmers are calling on Sri Lanka's president Anura Kumara Dissanayake to address their plight and provide urgent compensation for their financial losses.
Farmers have further highlighted that waterlogged fields continue to pose a challenge, making it extremely difficult to harvest what remains of their crops.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that traders have begun arriving in the affected areas to purchase the harvested paddy, raising concerns that farmers may be forced to sell at unfairly low prices due to their desperate circumstances.
The situation underscores the vulnerability of Tamil farmers in the North-East, who continue to face economic hardships, inadequate government support, and environmental challenges that threaten their livelihoods.
