Farming Reform: Sri Lanka’s Strategy Post-Cyclone Ditwah 📈

Three months after Cyclone Ditwah (Nov 2025), the focus has shifted from emergency repair to systemic reform in agriculture and infrastructure. Total direct physical damage is estimated at US$ 4.1 Bn (approx. 4% of GDP), necessitating a shift toward climate-resilient economic planning. • Overall Economic Impact Direct Damage: US$ 4.1 Bn (based on World Bank GRADE report). Population Affected: 2.2 million people across all 25 districts. Sector Loss: Agriculture sustained US$ 814 Mn in direct damage. • Sector Breakdowns & Production Risks Paddy: Over 108,000 hectares destroyed; 90% targeted for re-sowing. Vegetables: Prices spiked 100%–350% post-cyclone due to supply chain breaks. Livestock: Massive losses include 37,000 cattle/buffalo and 475,000 poultry. Fisheries: Damage estimated between US$ 66–69 Mn. • Reform Agenda Highlights Infrastructure: Rebuilding irrigation and drainage to future-proof standards rather than historical rainfall averages. Finance: Expanding crop insurance and rapid-trigger disaster financing to prevent rural debt crises. Diversification: Moving away from "all-or-nothing" systems by promoting stress-tolerant crop varieties and ICT/BPM integration for localized early warnings. • Next Steps for Recovery FAO seeking US$ 16.5 Mn for early recovery; currently only 2.4% funded. Focus on "Build-Back-Better" irrigation and shock-responsive safety nets for smallholder farmers. _Summary based on provisional FAO and World Bank data as of February 2026._