Sri Lanka, July 15 -- The Government has allocated Rs.46.006 billion to support paddy cultivation, covering fertilizer subsidies, irrigation restoration, crop damage compensation and paddy procurement, Cabinet Spokesman and Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated.

Speaking at the weekly Cabinet press briefing yesterday (14), he stated that the government remains committed to protecting farmers while ensuring they receive a fair price for their harvest. Under the current procurement programme, the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) will purchase up to 2,500 kilograms of paddy from individual farmers.

The PMB commenced purchasing on July 13 through 148 storage centers, aiming to procure 39,500 metric tonnes. The government ha...