The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board has announced plans to expedite compensation payments to farmers across five districts whose crops have been damaged by ongoing drought conditions.

The government is moving to speed up financial assistance for farmers dealing with crop losses caused by the current drought, according to a statement from the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board. The decision follows instructions from Agriculture Minister K.D. Lalkantha to prioritize the compensation process for affected agricultural communities.

Dry weather conditions have impacted farming operations across multiple regions of the country. Preliminary data shows that approximately 6,073 acres of paddy land belonging to roughly 4,707 farmers have sustained damage in five districts. The most severely affected areas include Anuradhapura with 2,200 acres affecting 1,900 farmers, Monaragala with 1,334 acres affecting 960 farmers, and Polonnaruwa with 1,100 acres affecting 560 farmers. Ampara and Hambantota have also reported significant crop damage. Affected cultivations include paddy, maize, and other crops dependent on adequate water supplies.

Officials from the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board have begun conducting field inspections to assess the extent of damage. Compensation will be distributed once these assessments are finalized. Under the current scheme, eligible farmers can receive up to Rs. 100,000 per hectare for damage to six designated crops, with payments capped at a maximum cultivated area of five acres.

Farmers experiencing crop losses are being encouraged to report their damage promptly to Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board field officers or register their losses at Agrarian Development Centres. The Board has established a hotline at 1918 for farmers requiring additional information about the compensation process.