In brief
Sri Lanka announced it will extend cultivation subsidies to 12 extra food crops, making a total of 13 crops eligible, including paddy. The subsidy will be 60,000 rupees per hectare, doubled from the previous rate, and the program is expected to cost 16 billion rupees. The move marks the first time the country will apply paddy subsidies to non‑paddy crops on paddy fields.
Sri Lanka announced on Nov. 2 that it would extend cultivation subsidies to 12 new food crops on paddy lands, expanding the program to a total of 13 crops during the 2026‑27 Maha season. The new policy offers farmers 60,000 rupees per hectare, the same amount that paddy farmers currently receive.
Namal Karunaratne, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, said the government had already increased subsidies earlier in the year and will now apply them to other crops grown on paddy farmland. This is the first time the country will give paddy subsidies to non‑paddy crops.
"For the first time in Sri Lanka's history, we will allow eligible farmers cultivating crops other than paddy to receive the same subsidy amount currently provided for paddy cultivation," said Karunaratne.
The program covers a maximum of two hectares per farmer and is estimated to cost 16 billion rupees. The subsidies are intended to support farmers and boost food security by encouraging diversification on paddy fields.
Local outlet Ada Derana reported the plan after the Cabinet approved the subsidy of 30,000 rupees per hectare, which was later doubled to 60,000 rupees in a decision announced on Oct. 15.
This expansion aims to help farmers diversify their crops and increase their income while ensuring that paddy lands remain productive. The subsidy will provide a financial boost to about 850,000 hectares of paddy fields if fully implemented.
