To address the rice shortage, the government has decided to import 70,000 metric tons of rice immediately, Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe announced during a media briefing this afternoon.
The Minister explained that Nadu rice would be imported through government institutions such as Sathosa and the State Trading Corporation to alleviate the current market crisis.
He highlighted that despite the apparent shortage, the country has a surplus of rice production. “Our country has produced 4.8 million metric tons of paddy in the two recent harvest seasons, with 3.1 million metric tons of Nadu paddy alone,” he said.
“When processed, 3.1 million metric tons of Nadu paddy yield 2.1 million metric tons of rice. This translates to 183,000 metric tons per month, while the country’s monthly Nadu rice consumption is only 140,000 metric tons. This means there is a surplus of 40,000 metric tons of rice per month—480,000 metric tons annually. Despite this, rice is unavailable to consumers, and farmers do not have access to their paddy. This is the tragic reality we face as a nation,” he stated.
Minister Samarasinghe further criticized the mismanagement of the rice supply, mentioning that some rice is diverted for alcohol production, leaving neither consumers nor farmers adequately served.
He assured that measures would be taken to stabilize the market ahead of the Maha season harvest, expected to begin by January 15. “To ensure the farmer’s paddy price is unaffected and consumers have sufficient rice, we aim to bring rice to the market before December 15. The price of rice will not exceed Rs. 220, even though it may drop below that,” he affirmed.
The Minister expressed confidence that this initiative would prevent further disruptions and bring relief to both farmers and consumers.
