Sri Lanka will provide compensation of up to two million rupees to cattle farmers for cross-bred animals lost during Cyclone Ditwah, with lesser amounts allocated for other types of livestock, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced.

Addressing parliament while seeking approval for an additional 500 billion rupees in cyclone relief funding for 2026, President Dissanayake explained, “If someone lost a cross-bred cow, we will give them 200,000 rupees. We will provide up to two million rupees for 10 cows. Even if more are lost, the maximum compensation will be capped at two million rupees.”

For local, non-cross-bred cows, farmers will receive 50,000 rupees per animal, up to a maximum of 20 cows. Compensation for pigs, goats, and sheep will be set at 20,000 rupees per animal, also up to 20 animals. “We found that only a few places have more than 20 animals, so the maximum they can receive is 400,000 rupees. A young animal is about 5,000 to 6,000 rupees, so this support will help farmers restart their farms,” the President explained.

Going forward, farms will be required to register with the local veterinary office. Farms that are not registered will be charged for veterinary services, he added.