August 31, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka is entering the Maha cultivation season amid growing concerns over the combined effects of a strengthening El Niño pattern, higher agricultural costs and the prospect of unusually heavy rainfall, according to a new United Nations assessment.
Sri Lanka has been placed among countries of elevated concern in the UN’s latest Asia-Pacific assessment. Rainfall could rise above normal levels from October, coinciding with the start of the Second Inter-Monsoon period.
A wetter season could offer some relief by improving reservoir levels and replenishing water resources. However, excessive rain at the crucial planting stage could bring flooding and waterlogging, while also disrupting field preparation and delaying cultivation activities.
The weather risk comes as farmers continue to contend with elevated input costs. Fuel prices remain well above levels recorded before the Middle East crisis, with diesel and petrol costing about 44 per cent and 41 per cent more respectively. Sri Lanka’s dependence on imported fertiliser also leaves food production exposed to movements in international commodity markets.
Taken together, unpredictable weather linked to El Niño and persistent cost pressures could make the coming Maha season particularly challenging for farmers, while adding to wider concerns over food availability and prices.
The assessment was prepared jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Food Programme, UN Women, World Meteorological Organisation and UN humanitarian agencies.
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