| Mar 14 2013 | 2012/13 Sri Lanka Rice Production Expected to Drop by 20 Percent due to Excessive Rainfall |
The USDA estimates 2012/13 Sri Lanka rice area planted to reach 1.13 mHa, down by nearly 6 percent and down 10 percent from the previous year. This 10 percent decline can be attributed to flooding that impeded planting and destroyed plantings. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Agriculture forecast that 72,975 hectares (ha) of paddy rice has been affected by the flooding since November and December. Since the end of December 2012 roughly 91 percent of the target Maha rice area (814,058 ha) was planted. The districts of Batticalo, Trincomalee, and Vavuniya where heavily damaged from flooding and heavy rains.
|
|
|
