Harvesting paddy in the Yala season in the Ampara district has begun. About 180,000 acres have been cultivated with paddy in the season.
The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) and private millers are buying paddy from farmers now.
The PMB stores in the Ampara district are open for farmers to sell their paddy at a higher price, PMB Regional Manager Santha Kumara said.
Paddy are bought from farmers at Rs. 50 per Samba kilo and Nadu. Maximum 5,000 kg of paddy will be bought from a farmer, he said.
Farmers said they are happy as they have a bumper harvest this season. They said they get aout 110 bushels per acre.
Traders and mill owners from the Jaffna, Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa Districts visit the Ampara district to buy paddy now. About five to six acres are harvested per day.
Some paddy fields have been affected by the Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) –Arakotty disease, farmers said.
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