In a significant blow to the agricultural sector, approximately 50,000 acres of crops have been reported damaged across Sri Lanka. Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has revealed that a staggering 11,000 acres of crop damage have been documented in the Kurunegala district alone.

The Kurunegala district emerges as the hardest-hit region during the yala season, reporting the highest crop damage. Minister Amaraweera expressed deep concern over the severity of the damage and stressed that the government is bracing for an unprecedented financial burden. He disclosed that the Agricultural and Agricultural Insurance Board's payout for this year's crop damage is projected to be the highest on record, with the exact amount reaching unimaginable proportions.

Addressing the media, Minister Amaraweera acknowledged that the government may potentially need to allocate billions of rupees to compensate for the extensive crop loss. To put this in perspective, last year the government disbursed a substantial sum of 1700 million rupees to address similar crop damage issues.

The Ministry of Agriculture has highlighted that the dire situation has particularly affected paddy fields under the Udawalawe Reservoir, putting around 65,000 acres at risk. Thankfully, the timely release of water from the Samanala Lake has partially mitigated the threat, preventing even further damage.

Several districts, including Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Ratnapura, Hambantota, and Monaragala, have experienced the brunt of this drought-induced crisis, bearing the heaviest burden of crop damage.