Archives

by Sandasen Marasinghe

For the first time since Independence Sri Lanka has attained self sufficiency in rice and recorded a surplus of 38,000 metric tons upto date from the Maha season and by the end of the Yala season the surplus would rise to 200,000 metric tons Agriculture, Livestock and Samurdi Minister S. B. Dissanayake told a media briefing yesterday.

The Minister requested the public to consume rice or products made of rice instead of bread or flour products. He said this decision was reached at a discussion with the Cost of Living Committee chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

According to the decisions taken by the committee, the Rs. 7 tax imposed on a kilo of imported rice has been increased by Rs. 2 with immediate effect in order to safeguard the local farmers by imposing barriers on rice import, he said.

"This year's Maha season has brought a bumper harvest of 1.9 million metric tons of paddy, the highest ever harvest in a Maha season. In addition to this, 1.2 million metric tons of paddy harvest is expected in this Yala season. Altogether,this will amount to nearly 3.1 million metric tons of paddy. More than 2 million metric tons of rice will be made out of this paddy." At present, the annual rice requirement of Sri Lanka is nearly 1.94 million metric tons."

Through this Rs.9 tax imposed on a Kilo of imported rice, the Ministry hopes to maintain the retail price of a kilo of rice at Rs. 26 and offer Rs. 13.50 per Kilo of paddy of farmers.

The Minister further said arrangements have been made to deliver rice among Samurdhi beneficiary families with their Samurdhi subsidy. Then the amount of 38,000 metric tons of rice surplus will only last for two months. Steps have also been taken to educate the farmers to cultivate maize, greengram and Kurakkan. At present, a large amount of these crop varieties are imported to cater to the requirements in the livestock sector.

He noted that amidst various difficulties, the Export Development Board has taken steps to export rice to Middle East countries, England, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Africa. Initiatives will be taken to educate the farmers to cultivate paddy for export purposes.

Minister S. B. Dissanayake stated that those who lived in the suburbs and in the upcountry plantations consumed one meal of rice generally a day. And he requested them to resume to consume rice at least for two meals a day and help the farmers who are 65% of the population to secure their economy. Agriculture Technology and Crop Productivity Minister Hemakumara Nanayakkara said since export of rice is not beneficial, arrangements will be made to export products made of rice.

"We have experimented a biscuit, a rice product which is of export standard. We are ready to provide technology to those interested the biscuit manufacturing companies. He said they would encourage those companies to produce rice products such as biscuits and sweetmeat.

Irrigation and Water Management Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Rural Economy Minister and Deputy Finance Minister Bandula Gunawardana, Paddy Development Minister D. M. Bandaranayake, Polonnaruwa MP Sidney Jayaratne and Secretary to the Agriculture Ministry Danasena Hettiarachchi also spoke.

www.crescat.com

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries

Produced by Lake House
Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager