Very poor yield has been reported in paddy harvest in Vavuniya, there is a risk of yielding 5 to 7 bags of paddy per acre. In the Vavuniya district, more than 50,000 acres of paddy was cultivated last year. Currently its harvest season is approaching and harvesting is taking place in various parts of the country.
This time the government has banned the import of fertilisers, which has resulted in a sharp decline in yield without the chemical fertilisers. Farmers, who are particularly concerned about the yield of 5 to 7 bags of paddy this time around as their yields have been more than 30 bags per acre in the past, say their livelihoods have been severely affected.
This time we have spent more than Rs 60,000 per acre on non-fertilizer and increase in drug prices and other expenses. However, the income is only 3 thousand rupees. This has affected our livelihood and made us debtors.
Therefore, the government’s unprepared decision on banning chemical fertiliser has put the country’s backbone farmers at risk of committing suicide. The farmers are demanding that the government take action to make up for the loss to us.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Central Bank says that food inflation in the country has risen to 21.5% by the end of December. That figure was 16.9 last November. Accordingly, food inflation rose to 4.6% in the last month of the year.
Food inflation is likely to cross 25% by the end of January on the back of rising food prices.
