Purchasing of Maha Crop from farmers begins

Chula Bandara Kulasekara

ANURADHAPURA: Purchasing of the Maha paddy crop from farmers in the Anuradhapura District began from yesterday ending fears entertained by the farming community about the possibility of disposing of their paddy stocks this season.

This follows a directive issued to the Treasury by President Mahinda Rajapakse to release funds immediately from the Rs. 2,000 million allocated for the paddy purchasing exercise this season.

President Rajapakse in Anuradhapura on Saturday to attend a religious ceremony at the Ruwanmeli Seya premises, issued this order from his mobile phone following representations made to him by Agrarian Services and Farmer Community Development Minister S. M. Chandrasena.

The storage problem of new paddy stocks purchased from farmers were also resolved at a high level meeting in Anuradhapura on Sunday.

The meeting was attended by Minister Chandrasena, Deputy Minister Siripala Gamlath, North Central Province Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake, Provincial Minister H. B. Semasinghe, Anuradhapura Government Agent U. D. Yapa and other officials.

It was decided at this meeting to release the massive Sravastipura stores complex immediately to store new paddy stocks and release other store rooms as well by processing existing paddy stocks and releasing the milled rice to the market without delay.

It was also decided to offer farmers Rs. 16.50 per kilo for nadu paddy and Rs. 17.50 per kilo for samba varieties.