While in Sri Lanka on 10 September 2022, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power announced an additional $40 million in development assistance to help farmers purchase fertilizer and other vital agricultural inputs.
Links
This assistance will support Sri Lankans as they come out of a political crisis and are still facing a severe economic and agricultural crisis, with consecutive failed agricultural seasons producing half of their usual output followed by year-on-year inflation that soared to above 60 percent and food price inflation climbing to 90 percent, since August of this year. These compounding effects have left households across the country struggling to meet essential needs as food insecurity continues to grow without end in sight.
Subject to Congressional approval, USAID will invest this money to provide farmers with fertilizer and other vital agricultural inputs. This critical support, implemented through the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, comes just in time for maximum benefit to the upcoming “Maha” planting season and will benefit up to 1 million farmers in need of fertilizer across Sri Lanka, which includes 53,000 farmers in need of emergency cash assistance.
