Crop Explorer - World Agricultural Production (WAP) Briefs - Sri Lanka


Feb 8 2024 | Sri Lanka Rice: Production Forecast to Increase
USDA estimates marketing year (MY) 2023/24 Sri Lanka rice production at 3.3 million metric tons (milled basis), up 9 percent from last month and 17 percent from last year. The harvested area is estimated at 1.2 million hectares, up slightly from MY 2022/23. Yields are estimated to reach 4.22 metric tons per hectare (rough basis), up 16 percent from a year ago because of ideal weather and improved access to inputs. (For more information, please contact Arnella.Trent@usda.gov.)

Feb 8 2023 | Sri Lanka Rice: Production Revised Up
USDA estimates marketing year (MY) 2022/23 Sri Lanka rice production at 2.5 million metric tons (milled basis), up 5 percent from last month but down nearly 8 percent from MY 2021/22. Harvested area is estimated at 1.09 million hectares, up 11 percent from January but down nearly 4 percent from last year. The Sri Lanka Ministry of Agriculture revised their estimate of planted area in January. Yields are estimated at 3.41 metric tons per hectare, down 4 percent from MY 2021/22. (For more information, please contact Arnella.Trent@usda.gov.)

Nov 9 2022 | Sri Lanka Rice: Rice Production Estimated to Drop Further
USDA estimates marketing year (MY) 2022/23 Sri Lanka rice production at 2.4 million metric tons (milled basis), down 9 percent from last month and 12 percent from MY 2021/22. Harvested area is estimated at 0.98 million hectares, down 2 percent from last month and 13 percent from last year. Yields (rough) are estimated to reach 3.60 metric tons per hectare, down 18 percent from the 5-year average, but up 1 percent from last year. (For more information, please contact Arnella.Trent@usda.gov.)

Sep 12 2022 | Sri Lanka Rice: Production Estimate Up Slightly; Yield Rebounds from Last Year
USDA estimates marketing year (MY) 2022/23 Sri Lanka rice production at 2.7 million metric tons milled, up nearly 1 percent from MY 2021/22. This 1 percent increase is due to availability of agricultural inputs such as chemical fertilizers. Harvested area is estimated at 1.0 million hectares, down 10 percent from last year. Yields are estimated to reach 3.90 metric tons per hectare, up nearly 12 percent from last year. (For more information, please contact Arnella.Trent@usda.gov)

Jul 12 2022 | Sri Lanka Rice: MY 2021/22 Production Down due to a Decline in Yields
USDA estimates marketing year (MY) 2021/22 Sri Lanka rice production at 2.6 million metric tons milled, down about 22 percent from MY 2020/21. This decrease is based on an update from the Sri Lanka Census and Statistics Department. Harvested area is estimated at 1.1 million hectares, up 1 percent from the previous year. Yield is estimated to reach 3.54 metric tons per hectare, down nearly 23 percent from MY 2020/21. This decline in yield is due to a lack of agricultural inputs, such as fertilizers for the maha crop. (For more information, please contact Arnella.Trent@usda.gov.)

Apr 8 2022 | Sri Lanka Rice: Production Down due to a Decline in Yield
USDA estimates marketing year (MY) 2021/22 Sri Lanka rice production at 2.9 million metric tons (milled-basis), unchanged from last month and down nearly 14 percent from MY 2020/21. Harvested area is estimated at 1.1 million hectares, up nearly 13 percent from last month and 1 percent from MY 2020/21. The 13 percent area increase from last month is based on February’s Ministry of Agriculture crop report. Yield is estimated at 3.91 metric tons per hectare, down 11 percent from last month and down 15 percent from MY 2020/21. A lack of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers for the maha crop contributed to the decline in yields. The government of Sri Lanka restricted imports of inorganic fertilizers in May 2021; the ban was rescinded in November. (For more information, please contact Arnella.Trent@usda.gov.)

Jan 12 2022 | Sri Lanka Rice: Production Down due to a Decline in Harvested Area
USDA estimates marketing year (MY) 2021/22 Sri Lanka rice production at 3.1 million metric tons (milled basis), down 12 percent from last month and 10 percent from last year. Harvested area is estimated at 1.0 million hectares (mha), down 0.1 mha (9 percent) from last month and 8 percent below last year. The year-to-year decline in planted area is due to a lack of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers for the maha crop. Yields are estimated at 4.50 metric tons per hectare, down 3 percent from last month and 2 percent from last year. (For more information, please contact Arnella.Trent@usda.gov.)

Feb 9 2021 | Sri Lanka Rice: Production Increase due to Near-Record Harvested Area
USDA estimates 2020/21 Sri Lanka rice production at 3.5 million metric tons milled, up nearly 8 percent from last year. The 8 percent increase is due to increased area harvested and above-average yields. The harvested area is estimated at 1.1 million hectares, up 12 percent from 2019/20. This 12 percent increase is due to government support. Above-average rainfall coupled with improved seed varieties boosted yields slightly above the 5-year average. Yields are estimated to reach 4.59 metric tons per hectare, down 5 percent from 2019/20’s record. (For more information, please contact Arnella.Trent@usda.gov.)

Jul 10 2020 | Sri Lanka Rice: Harvested Area Estimate Increases
Sri Lanka rough rice production is forecast at 4.4 million metric tons (mmt), up 5 percent from last month and down 4 percent from last year. Harvested area is expected to reach almost 1.0 million hectares, up nearly 3 percent from last year and unchanged from last month. The harvested area increase is based on a continuation of Government support in the form of free irrigation supplies and fertilizer subsidies. (For more information, please contact Arnella.Trent@usda.gov.)

Feb 11 2020 | Sri Lanka Rice: Production Decreases due to Area Reduction
USDA forecasts 2019/20 Sri Lanka rough rice production at 4.0 million metric tons (mmt), down 11 percent from last month and 13 percent from last year. Milled rice is estimated at 2.7 mmt. The 13 percent drop in production is based on less area planted and yields returning to the 5-year average. The harvested area is forecast at 0.9 million hectares, down 10 percent from the previous forecast and down nearly 8 percent from 2018/19. This 10 percent drop in harvested area is based on area revisions from the Sri Lanka Ministry of Agriculture. Yield is forecast at 4.44 metric tons per hectare, down nearly 6 percent from 2018. (For more information, please contact Arnella.Trent@usda.gov.)

Apr 9 2019 | Sri Lanka Rice: Production Rebounds
USDA estimates 2018/19 Sri Lanka rice production at 2.96 million metric tons (4.35 rough), up 32 percent from last year due to improved conditions. After two years of drought, rainfall was recorded at average levels in the main producing areas. Consequently, area harvested returned to average levels. Area is estimated at 1.1 million hectares, up 43 percent from last year, but yield is estimated at 3.96 metric tons per hectare, down nearly 8 percent. The 8-percent drop in yield is due to damage from the fall army worm and flooding during the yala season. (For additional information, please contact Arnella.Trent@fas.usda.gov).

Apr 10 2018 | Sri Lanka: Rice Production Forecast to Drop
USDA estimates 2017/18 Sri Lanka rice area at 0.88 million hectares, up nearly 30 percent from last year but down 7 percent from the 5-year average. The increase is due to more favorable planting conditions following last year’s drought. Yield is forecast at 4.22 tons per hectare, down 3 percent from last year due to dry conditions for the maha crop which is grown from October through April and accounts for 60 percent of total production. Production is forecast at 2.5 million tons (milled basis) or 3.7 million tons (rough), up 26 percent from last year. The rainfall during the maha crop season was down 40 percent from the long- term average. Although this is a mostly irrigated crop, satellite imagery shows that the reservoirs and rivers throughout the country are shrinking. (For more information, please contact Arnella.Trent@fas.usda.gov)

Aug 10 2017 | Sri Lanka Rice: Area Estimated Up 10 Percent
USDA estimates 2017/18 Sri Lanka rice area at 1.1 million hectares (mha), up 10 percent from last year despite below-normal reservoir levels and a shortage of seeds. Heavy rainfall in May caused severe flooding in the southwest but did not alleviate the drought conditions in the north-central and eastern parts of the country. The reservoir levels are estimated to be at 32 percent of capacity compared to 76 percent last year. Production is forecast at 2.9 million metric tons (mmt) milled or 4.26 rough, up 23 percent from last year’s drought reduced crop.

Jan 12 2017 | Sri Lanka Rice: Floods and Drought Reduce Production
USDA forecasts 2016/17 Sri Lanka rice production at 2.35 million tons milled (3.45 million tons rough), down 23 percent from last month and down 29 percent from last year. Area is estimated at 1.0 million hectares, down 23 percent from previous forecast and down 18 percent from last year. The decrease is attributed to two factors. Major floods in mid-May affected the 2016 yalaseason and drought is currently affecting the maha-season.


Close Window