Thursday Apr 30, 2026
Thursday Apr 30, 2026
Thursday, 30 April 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Paddy farmers collecting their fertiliser allocations from their
respective Agrarian Service Centre in Anuradhapura
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has launched a fertiliser support program to assist smallholder paddy farmers in the Anuradhapura District whose fields were damaged by Cyclone Ditwah, helping them recover production in time for the upcoming Yala cultivation season in Sri Lanka.
Through a voucher scheme valued at $300,000, FAO will provide targeted fertiliser support to 3,489 smallholder paddy farmers, including 1,686 women farmers, whose fields were partially or fully damaged by the cyclone during the Maha cultivation season in Sri Lanka 2025/26.
Eligible farmers will receive electronic vouchers (e-vouchers) to purchase essential fertilisers from Agrarian Service Centers. Farmers cultivating up to 0.5 acres will receive vouchers valued at $75 (Rs. 23,625), while those cultivating more than 0.5 acres up to 1 acre will receive $ 90 (Rs. 28,350). The vouchers can be used to obtain fertilisers including Urea fertiliser, Triple Super Phosphate (TSP), and Muriate of Potash (MOP).
Department of Agrarian Development Commissioner-General Dhammika Ranatunga said: “This initiative demonstrates the strong collaboration between FAO and the Government of Sri Lanka to support farmers recovering from the impacts of Cyclone Ditwah. By enabling timely access to essential fertilisers ahead of the Yala cultivation season, this support will help affected farmers restore paddy production and safeguard the livelihoods of smallholder farming communities in Anuradhapura.”
FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Vimlendra Sharan, emphasising the importance of timely agricultural recovery assistance for vulnerable farmers said: “Through this fertiliser voucher programme, FAO aims to help farmers quickly return to cultivation while strengthening their production capacity and contributing to local food security. This also marks the first time FAO in Sri Lanka is implementing an online digital fertiliser voucher programme, expanding our emergency response tools to ensure farmers receive timely and flexible support.”
Alongside fertiliser support, each beneficiary will also receive a free technical booklet on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in paddy cultivation for practical guidance on key stages of rice production. This knowledge resource is designed to help farmers improve productivity and sustainability while making more efficient use of agricultural inputs.
By combining timely input support with practical technical guidance, FAO aims to help affected farmers recover from the cyclone’s impacts and sustain rice production in one of Sri Lanka’s key agricultural districts.
