Abandonment of paddy lands and its causal factors in Bentota Pahalagamhaya Agrarian service division, Sri Lanka

Paddy is the most significant and highly valued crop in Sri Lanka. Paddy cultivation has been given top priority in the agriculture industry due to its strong links to food security and the socioeconomic development of the rural community. Paddy is the most significant commercial crop in the Galle district of the Low Country Wet Zone (LCWZ). However, the Galle district has a substantial amount of abandoned paddy land due to various circumstances. Abandoned paddy lands have an impact on paddy production, rural livelihood and food security in Sri Lanka. Therefore the objectives are to identify factors affecting paddy land abandonment and farmers' willingness to recultivate abandoned paddy lands in Pahalagamhaya Agrarian service division. One hundred paddy farmers with abandoned paddy lands were selected by purposive sampling while adopting a questionnaire survey method to perform multiple regression analysis and descriptive statistics. Frequent flood conditions, wild animal damage, poor drainage system, salinity and inadequate infrastructure facilities were identified as the factors that affect paddy land abandonment according to the results of multiple regression analysis. Descriptive statistics revealed that 69% of farmers are willing to re-cultivate abandoned paddy lands. The findings will aid the government and other responsible organizations in the effective management and control of the factors that cause paddy land abandonment in Bentota, Pahalagamhaya Agrarian service division. Reducing the number of abandoned paddy lands will help boost the food security in this area. Keywords: Multiple regression; paddy land abandonment; rice cultivation; willingness to re-cultivate