Nov 20, Colombo: The Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries has decided to provide 40 liters of diesel per hectare free of charge to the farmers whose crops were damaged in the last Yala season to start farming in this Maha season. Accordingly, the release of the fuel for paddy cultivation was started Sunday (19).

The issuance of vouchers to the farmers to get fuel commenced yesterday (19) in a program held at Angunakolapelessa with the participation of the Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera.

This fuel subsidy is available to all the farmers who suffered crop losses in the Walawa Zone, Hambantota district and Kurunegala district, where large crop losses were reported in the last Yala season.

65,000 acres cultivated with paddy in the last Yala Season were damaged by drought and the Minister had instructed the Department of Agricultural Development to provide this fuel subsidy to those farmers to harvest paddy in the Maha season.

The Chinese government had given 6.9 million liters of diesel to the Ministry of Agriculture for free distribution for paddy cultivation in the last Maha season. In the distribution of that diesel, some small quantities were not taken by some farmers and 02 million liters of diesel was left under that.

The Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera has instructed the officials to take steps to distribute the remaining 02 million liters of diesel to the farmers whose crops were damaged at the rate of 40 liters per hectare.