Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture Vijitha Chandra Piyathillake says the fertilizer subsidy for the paddy farmers who will engage in cultivation activities during the Maha season will be given away today. Therefore, depositing of money in the bank accounts of farmers in Jaffna, Gampaha and Kilinochchi districts will take place today.

The contribution of 11 thousand public servants is obtained to create a data base of farmers for this process. Agri-research officers are also among them. There are adequate stocks of chemical fertilizer for the Maha season. However, the additional secretary said the use of chemical fertilizer has dropped significantly due to the government's initiative of promoting organic fertilizer.

Meanwhile, Director General of Irrigation Saman Weerasinghe says water is issued for cultivation activities of Maha season from 45 out of 73 main tanks. However, it is important to use the water sparingly as heavy showers are not expected in the coming months. Therefore, all irrigation engineers throughout the island have been asked to come to Colombo to hold a discussion in this regard.