Free fuel will be provided for farmers

The Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation has decided to provide 40 liters of diesel subsidy per hectare free of charge.

Accordingly, the release of the fuel for paddy cultivation started yesterday (19). The issuance of vouchers to the farmers to get fuel was done yesterday with the participation of the Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industry Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera. These vouchers were distributed in a program held in Agunakolapalassa.

This fuel subsidy is available to all the farmers who suffered crop losses in the Walawa Zone, Hambantota district and Kurunegala district and all of the crop losses farmers reported in the last yala season. 65,000 acres cultivated with paddy in the last Yala season were damaged by drought and the Minister had instructed the Department of Agricultural Development to provide this fuel subsidy to those farmers to harvest paddy in this Maha season.

The Chinese government had given 6.9 million liters of diesel to the Ministry of Agriculture for free distribution for paddy cultivation in the last Maha season. In the distribution of that diesel, some small quantities were not taken by some farmers and 02 million liters of diesel was left under that.

The Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mahinda Amaraweera advised to take steps to distribute the remaining 02 million liters of diesel to the farmers whose crops were damaged at the rate of 40 liters per hectare.

Photo- Here is how a farmer whose crops were damaged in Hambantota received the fuel voucher from the Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries.

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