Undergoing a growing concern over food security after extreme weather events, Sri Lanka’s agricultural lands have been left devastated and ruined, which is currently impacting key crop production and is also simultaneously raising fears of higher food prices and supply shortages. According to the data collected by the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), roughly 7.6% of the nation’s 2.4 million hectares of agricultural land (175,000 hectares) were destroyed by the floods caused by Cyclone Ditwah in late November and December 2025.
The damage, which spans over major vegetable plots, rice paddies, and various other important crops, has not only triggered serious questions regarding how swiftly Sri Lanka can recover but also replant before the next growing season. Paddy fields, the foundation of Sri Lanka’s staple food production, suffered the most severe damage. Various districts such as Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Anuradhapura recorded the largest losses, with Batticaloa alone marking more than 36,000 hectares of swamped paddy land. When totaled across affected regions, it’s estimated that between 140,000 and 150,000 hectares of paddy land were destroyed.
Vegetable cultivation has also experienced significant destruction. In Nuwara Eliya, nearly 1,046 hectares have been lost. Following this heartland for high-altitude vegetable production, more districts such as Badulla, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Puttalam have also suffered. Altogether, these areas total approximately 7,000 to 8,000 hectares of destroyed vegetable crops.
Other staple field crops, which include pulses, maize, and chilies, have not, unfortunately, escaped the cyclone’s wrath. Having observed the damage of these crops across multiple districts nationwide, it’s been detected that 18,000 to 20,000 hectares of field crops have been thus far affected gravely.
Images and analysis captured by satellite have revealed that areas like Mannar, Mullaitivu, Batticaloa, and Trincomalee experienced some of the highest flood extents, with flood levels that reached up to between 13% and 16% of agricultural land in these regions.
This devastation came amid already fragile and rural livelihoods. Data from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) indicates that before the cyclone struck, around 38% of rural households were heavily indebted. Having taken many loans, most farmers waited in anticipation of a successful ‘Maha’ season harvest, betting that income gained by their crops would cover expenses as well as loan repayments. The Maha season harvest, meaning Sri Lanka’s main agricultural growing season, especially for rice (paddy), did not go as expected, as seen by these details, which are exclusively stated in the Daily Mirror. With fields being wiped out and agricultural equipment being damaged, these families now face crushing debt with very few and narrow avenues for income, compounding existing food security vulnerabilities.
Replanting efforts face time constraints: the agricultural calendar in Sri Lanka leaves a narrow window before the onset of the next planting season. Recovery efforts must be swift if the country is to avoid major shortages. International agencies, including the FAO and other humanitarian partners, have been called upon to assist in recovery planning and technical support.
As Sri Lanka grapples with the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, the crisis highlights how climate-linked extreme weather can swiftly transform localized agricultural losses into broader threats to national food security. Policymakers and stakeholders now face pressing decisions on how to avert a worsening crisis in the months ahead.
