Agriculture: Over 200,000 hectares of crops destroyed
137,000 hectares of paddy damaged, 22% of cultivated area Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector has suffered significant losses following Cyclone Ditwah, with preliminary estimates suggesting that over 200,000 hectares of farmland have been damaged. The Ministry of Agriculture has said that the total extent of crop losses will be calculated and officially released in approximately two weeks.
According to Department of Agriculture Director General Dr. W.A.R. Thushara Wickramaarachchi, about 137,000 hectares of paddy fields out of a total of 611,000 hectares cultivated – representing 22% of the country’s paddy estates – have been affected. Maize cultivation has also been hit, with 6,525 hectares damaged, equivalent to 7.5% of the 87,000 hectares under cultivation.
Vegetable crops have suffered heavily, with 6,000 hectares out of 15,000 hectares cultivated – roughly 41% – damaged. Other field crops, including chilli, onions, cowpea, and green gram, are estimated to have sustained 38% damage.These figures were calculated during the first week of December, and Dr. Wickramaarachchi noted that actual losses may be lower as some crops could recover.
He added that the ministry was preparing to compensate farmers once a full assessment of damages was completed. Currently, officials are compiling and verifying data on losses caused by floods, landslides, and heavy rains, which will be finalized in the coming weeks.The Maha season has been severely impacted by Cyclone Ditwah, with major losses reported across both paddy and other field crops.
Prior to the cyclone, an estimated 563,950 hectares of paddy, cultivated by 774,996 farmers (according to the Department of Agrarian Development), were at critical growth stages. Large areas are now submerged or waterlogged following intense and prolonged rainfall, resulting in substantial expected yield losses.
While paddy fields are generally resilient to short-term flooding, the extent of damage varies widely depending on the crop’s growth stage at the time of inundation.
According to the Joint Rapid Needs Assessment Phase I issued on 2 December, in addition, approximately 95,799 hectares of Other Field Crops (OFCs) and 13,463 hectares of vegetables, including maize, pulses, bananas, and various seasonal vegetables (CROPIX, Department of Agriculture), have sustained extensive damage due to flooding, prolonged waterlogging, and wind impact.