Nov 29, Colombo: Sri Lankan government says it plans to cultivate nearly 100,000 acres of additional land in Eastern Province with paddy to enhance rice production under the government's Eastern Awakening (Nagenahira Navodaya) programme.

Under the program a total of 42,631 acres abandoned land in the three districts of the province will be cultivated during the Maha season. Out of this total, 14,974 acres will be in Trincomalee, 10,191 acres in Batticaloa and 17,466 acres in Ampara.

Nearly hundred percent of the targeted land has already been planted despite the late onset of the rains. The land had not been cultivated for the past five years due to the ethnic conflict that ravaged the area. The programme is expected to boost paddy production by an additional 163,400 metric tons.