In brief
Sri Lanka announced it will extend subsidies to 12 extra food crops on paddy fields, offering 60,000 rupees per hectare for 13 crops, a first for the country. The subsidy, part of the 2026‑27 Maha season, will cost an estimated 16 billion rupees. The move follows earlier increases and is reported by Xinhua and local outlet Ada Derana.
Sri Lanka announced on 2 November 2026 that it would extend its existing paddy field cultivation subsidies to 12 newly designated food crops, marking the first time this assistance will be applied to crops other than paddy, Xinhua reported citing Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne.
Xinhua provided specific details about the new policy, stating that the subsidy will be set at 60,000 rupees per hectare for a total of 13 crops – including the traditional paddy – during the 2026‑27 Maha cultivation season. The program will limit the subsidy to a maximum of two hectares per farmer, a rule that applies to all eligible farmers regardless of the crop grown.
According to Xinhua, the estimated expenditure for the program is 16 billion rupees. This figure was reached after a cabinet approval that initially set the subsidy at 30,000 rupees per hectare for both paddy and other field crops on paddy lands, again capped at two hectares per farmer.
Karunaratne, speaking to the media, mentioned that the government had already begun distributing cultivation subsidies at twice the rate it had allotted before he took office. This early distribution was part of a broader effort to encourage farmers to adopt the new policy.
In his statements, Karunaratne also highlighted the subsidy increase to 60,000 rupees per hectare, a change that official local media noted on 15 October. The announcement underscores the government's commitment to expanding agricultural support beyond traditional rice cultivation.
Xinhua’s report referenced the local outlet Ada Derana as the source for information about the deputy minister’s remarks. Ada Derana’s coverage highlighted the history of paddy subsidies in Sri Lanka and the significance of broadening them to other crops.
In describing the policy’s impact, Xinhua emphasized that the subsidy amount for the new crops will match the level currently provided for paddy. This replication mirrors the government’s approach to making agricultural support inclusive for a wider range of crops grown on paddy fields.
By extending subsidies to additional crops, the Sri Lankan government aims to increase diversification of crop production on existing paddy land without compromising the traditional rice farming base.
The 2026‑27 Maha season represents a critical period for Sri Lankan agriculture, and the 16‑billion‑rupee subsidy allocation is intended to stimulate growth by providing farmers with financial incentives to cultivate a broader array of food crops.
With the new policy in place, farmers seeking to grow the 12 additional crops will receive financial support at the same rate as paddy farmers, a move that marks a historic shift in Sri Lanka’s agricultural subsidy framework.
Overall, Xinhua’s account points to a significant expansion of state‑backed agricultural subsidies, a measure that underscores the government’s willingness to address broader crop cultivation needs while maintaining a consistent subsidy level across 13 different crop types.
