The government statistics department says paddy production has recorded a negative growth of 28.4 percent, year-on-year, for the third quarter of this year, but recorded the second highest yield in history.

The harvest during this quarter was the second highest paddy production since in 1952.

"The highest paddy production was recorded during the third quarter of 2008 and although recording a 28.4 percent decline production in the third quarter is the second highest," Census and Statistics Department deputy director Nalini Kumarasinghe said.

In 2008, the bountiful harvest was supported by the opening of Eastern province and good rainfall. The statistics department said rainfall this year had declined. And major paddy growing districts experienced drought.

The Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa Districts recorded decreases in paddy production of 64.8 percent and 35.2 percent. Paddy production in Ampara and Mahaweli H-Zone also decreased by 23.9 percent and 23.7 percent respectively.

The irrigated land extent had also decreased by 30 percent.

Compared with the third quarter of 2008, the number of persons employed in the agriculture sector declined by 240,000 during the third quarter of 2009, due to the adverse weather conditions affecting crops and the fall in the extent of land that were cultivated.

The statistics department said the fall in the employed rate also reflected seasonal and unpaid family labour trends in the sector.

Ms Kumarasinghe said the agriculture sector had recorded a 0.9 percent decline for the third quarter of this year led by negative growth from paddy (-28.4 percent), tea (-2.1 percent) and rubber (-3.4 percent).

"If these negative subsectors are taken off, the agriculture sector would show a positive growth rate of 5 percent," she said.