The Treasury has granted Rs. 371.215 million to provide 291,657 bushels of seed paddy free of charge to the farmers who made claims of total losses of their harvest due to the drought.

A total land area of 58,319 hectares is estimated to be cultivated under this provision and it is projected to have 262,435 metric tons of paddy harvest which would approximately amount to Rs.8.4 billion.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has granted the relief to the farmers with the objectives of strengthening the home economy of farmers were affected during the drought period and to ensure food security of the country.

The seed paddy will be distributed in Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura (including Mahaweli H division), Polonnaruwa, Matale and Vavuniya Districts. The Treasury has coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture together with the respective District Secretaries and Government Agents to fulfill the distribution.