Severe drought in Sri Lanka is wreaking havoc on the country’s agriculture sector, posing a significant threat to its summer rice harvest. After already enduring its worst financial crisis in over seven decades, the country’s economy was stabilizing with the help of a $2.9 billion IMF bailout. However, a severe lack of rainfall has devastated the summer harvest, leading to predictions of paddy loss and impacting food prices. The drought is attributed to the El Nino weather pattern, and experts warn that if rain does not come in the next planting season, the country may be forced into large-scale, costly rice imports. The situation is also reminiscent of a similar drought in 2016/17 during the last El Nino event, which led to a significant fall in rice output and negatively affected the country’s rural economy.