Flood Damage Compensation for Paddy, Maize, Big Onion, Potato, Chilli, and Soybean Growers

 The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board announced that steps will be taken to assess the damage caused to paddy, maize, big onion, potato, chilli, and soybean crops by the floods that occurred island-wide due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions, and to promptly provide the relevant compensation to farmers.

Its Chairman, Mr. Premasiri Jasingaarachchi, stated that this program is being implemented with the intervention of the Board, covering all twenty-five districts of the island.

As the disaster situation is still ongoing, it has been difficult to conduct a precise assessment of the damage. Therefore, the Chairman urged farmers to visit their respective Agrarian Service Centers as soon as the floodwaters recede and record the damage they have incurred in the crop damage notification books available there.

The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board also informed farmers that if the water does not recede from their cultivated lands, they should immediately notify the regional Agrarian Service Officer or the Agricultural Research and Production Assistant Officer. He emphasized that a period of one month has been allocated for reporting these damages, and therefore, steps will be taken to swiftly complete the necessary procedures and release the compensation funds.

In addition to the crops mentioned above, farmers should also ensure that damages to other crops are recorded in the books maintained at the Agrarian Service Center in the area where the cultivation is located. If there are any issues or if advice is needed regarding crop damage notification, facilities have been provided by calling the Agricultural Insurance Board's emergency hotline 1918. The Department of Agrarian Development and the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board will jointly carry out this compensation payment process.