El Nino prompts authorities to grow short-duration paddy varieties : Minister
– As it has been revealed that the El Niño phenomenon is expected to affect paddy cultivation during the end of 2026 and the first three months of 2027 to a high degree, the Ministry of Agriculture has drawn up a plan to grow short-duration paddy varieties to ensure food security, Parliament was informed yesterday.Agriculture Minister K. D. Lal Kantha, who made a special statement in the House, said heavy showers are expected within the months of October and November, while a dry spell could begin by end December 2026 and is expected to last until April 2027.Accordingly, the Minister said paddy varieties such as BG 94/1, BG 360, BG 375, AG 378 and BG 352, which give a harvest within three and a half months, will be done as usual. Cultivation of seeds will have to begin by October 15 as per the guidelines issued by the ministry,” Mr. Lal Kantha said.However, he said plans have been made to cultivate varieties that give harvest within two and a half months in the event flash floods are experienced within the month of September and October.
He said it is planned to cultivate 830,000 hectares of paddy during the Maha Season.
Furthermore, he said crops such as corn, chilies and onions will also be planted in early October this year. Accordingly, it is planned to cultivate 105,000 hectares of corn, while 9,450 hectares of onions are also planned for October.Plans are also afoot to establish additional crop nurseries to face any unexpected situation such as flooding.“The capacity of reservoirs which are under the Department of Irrigation and Mahaweli Authority currently stands at 55 per cent” he said.The Minister said the plan will be updated depending on the forecasts of the Department of Meteorology. He assured that food security will be secured despite adverse weather conditions.
However, the Minister said livestock such as cattle, poultry and pigs have become vulnerable in the face of El Niño. He said the increased heat had led the animals to mate less, while they are expected to become vulnerable to various diseases. “A shortage of grass and other kinds of animal feed is also expected,” he said.
