The Chairman of the National Farmers’ Union, Anuradha Tennakoon, has warned that Sri Lanka is heading towards a severe seven-month rice shortage.
According to Tennakoon, the rice shortage is expected due to the destruction caused by floods during the monsoon season on two separate occasions. The damage is particularly significant in the northern and eastern provinces, where paddy cultivation was heavily impacted.
He stated that approximately 850,000 hectares of paddy were cultivated during the 2024/25 monsoon season, but around 20 percent of the expected harvest has been lost due to flood damage across the island. Additionally, the harvest continues to be threatened by wild animals, including wild elephants, damaging crops nearing harvest.
To address the potential crisis, Tennakoon emphasized the importance of focusing on paddy cultivation on 070,000 hectares in the upcoming Yala season.
He further noted that the daily rice consumption in the country is approximately 6,500 metric tons, and the annual consumption is 2,357,957 metric tons. With the anticipated loss of paddy reserves, Sri Lanka may be forced to import rice to meet the country’s needs.
