Dept of Export Agriculture to Provide Relief for Disaster-hit Crops

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The Department of Export Agriculture says it will provide subsidies and compensation to crop farmers whose minor export crops were damaged by the recent disaster.

Director General K.S.R.D. Samarasinghe said that a Cabinet paper has already been submitted for approval.

According to the Department, a total of 583.8 hectares of minor export crops have been damaged, with pepper cultivation recording the highest impact at 511.9 hectares. 

In addition, 64.8 hectares of coffee and 7.1 hectares of cardamom cultivations have also been affected.

The damage has been reported from the districts of Badulla, Kandy, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, and Matale. 

Overall, crops belonging to 2,878 small-scale export crop growers were damaged in the disaster.