The paddy harvest of this year's Maha season has shown a seven per cent increase compared with that of the previous Maha season. The chief reason for the record yield is attributed to the move by the Government to cultivate a large number of paddy lands hitherto abandoned, under the Government's national food production drive Api Wawamu Rata Nagamu, Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Ministry Additional Secretary S.M.A.L. Gunathilaka said. Under the Government's national food production drive, a large number of fallow paddy lands in Homagama, Boralesgamuwa and Gampaha areas have been re-cultivated. This has enabled paddy cultivation in a large number of abandoned paddy lands, he said. Meanwhile, steps taken by the Government to provide a 50 Kg bag of Urea fertiliser at Rs.350 and free irrigation facilities to farmers have also encouraged them to cultivate a large number of fallow paddy lands. Paddy cultivation has turned profitable due to various measures taken by the Government to develop it, he said. The Government has decided to provide Rs. 3000 subsidy for an acre of cultivated paddy land. This subsidy will be given to farmers to purchase seed paddy and arrange their paddy fields. According to Gunathilaka a committee has also been appointed to look into paddy cultivation. The country's annual paddy production is 3.2 million Metric tons. The Government's intention is to achieve a 30 per cent increase in paddy production by 2010. Steps will also be taken to increase present 4.2 Metric tons of paddy harvest per hectare up to 5.2 Metric tons. In order to achieve this 30 per cent rise, an additional 55,000 hectares of paddy lands should be cultivated, he said. Out of the country's total seed paddy requirement, the state and private sector provide only 16 per cent. The balance has to be met by the farmers. The Agriculture Department in collaboration with the private sector has made arrangements to increase seed paddy production up to 20 per cent. At present the Government purchases a Kilo of seed paddy from farmers at Rs.42.