Feb 24, Colombo: Sri Lanka Ministry of Agriculture says 15 percent of the rice harvest from the Maha season might be lost.

The Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry W.A. Sakalasuriya said that the loss due to the adverse weather in the latter part of last year that flooded much of the rice growing areas in North Central and Eastern Provinces.

The official added that the loss may affect the income of the farmers.

The government has estimated that some 78,559 hectares of paddy lands have been completely destroyed due to the floods in December 2012.

The harvesting of the Maha season is now under way. Maha is the major crop season that brings the biggest yield of Sri Lanka's staple food. < /p>

The country experienced excessive rains during the last months of 2012 and at the beginning of this year. Spilling from almost all the irrigation reservoirs that were filled to the brim submerged the farmlands and damaged the crops.

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