Srilanka, April 21 -- The Government has decided to provide crop subsidies to farmers instead of fertiliser subsidies, Agriculture and Livestock Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne said. Under this crop subsidy, farmers will receive a sum of Rs. 50,000 for every two hectares of land.

The subsidy will be distributed in two stages: Rs. 35,000 will be granted in the first stage, followed by Rs. 15,000 in the second stage.

This new crop subsidy is designed to be more versatile than previous schemes. Farmers will be able to use the funds not only to purchase fertilizer, but also for a wide range of agricultural activities such as land preparation, paddy planting, irrigation, harvesting, and covering labour or machinery costs, according to the...