Cyclone Ditwah Puts Maha Rice Harvest at Severe Risk
- CNL Reporter
- December 8, 2025
- News
- Cyclone Ditwah, Sri Lanka
- 0 Comments
Sri Lanka’s Maha cultivation season has suffered major damage as Cyclone Ditwah flooded vast stretches of farmland, placing the country’s primary rice harvest under threat. A joint UN–DMC assessment reports that 563,950 hectares of paddy, already sown by nearly 775,000 farmers, are now submerged or waterlogged, with significant yield losses expected.
Young plants in early-sown districts face high mortality, while sand deposits and strong water flows have destroyed newly sown fields. Concerns are rising over seed paddy shortages, as stored stocks have also been damaged.
Beyond paddy, over 95,000 hectares of other field crops and 13,000 hectares of vegetables have been affected. Livestock deaths, damaged shelters, and contaminated feed have added to the crisis.
Fisheries and aquaculture have also sustained heavy losses, with boats damaged and stocked fish washed away. Officials warn the impact could strain food security and rural livelihoods nationwide.
