Minister assures purchase of Yala paddy

Minister Mahinda Amaraweera at the media conference yesterday. Picture by Siripala Halwala

Arrangements have been made to purchase the paddy harvest of the 2018 Yala season without any inconvenience to farmers, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said, at a media conference yesterday at the Agriculture Ministry.

The minister said that a bumper rice harvest of around 1.4 million metric tons is expected this season and the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) is ready to purchase 120,000 metric tons of paddy from the Yala harvest. Commenting on the market price of the paddy, the minister said that PMB plans to buy nadu and samba rice at Rs.38 and Rs.41 per kilo, respectively. He further said that that the government has already allocated sufficient funds for purchasing paddy.

“But the PMB will purchase only quality paddy which has a moisture rate of less than 14 percent,” he added.

The minister said that the PMB will enter the domestic rice market shortly under the brand of ‘PMB rice’ and hopes to sell high-quality rice varieties at an affordable price while maintaining a steady price for paddy.

PMB Chairman Upali Mohotti and Dr. W.M.W. Weerakoon from the ministry were also present. 

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