The minister said that one-third of the crops grown were destroyed by wild animals or natural disasters. Minister Amaraweera said that it had been decided to set a certified price for maize in order to boost the local economy, adding that a Cabinet paper for the matter would be submitted soon.
One thousand two hundred and sixty-four metric tons of maize was imported into the country last year and 200,000 tons was imported this year, the minister said.He said that the Insurance Regulatory Commission would compensate farmers for crop wastage and added that Rs.40,000 per hectare would be paid for lands that had been destroyed.
Minister Amaraweera said that farmers and fisher folk should be provided with the necessary assistance as they were a part of two main industries in the country.