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Govt. allocates Rs,1000m for yala purchase

COLOMBO: The Government has allocated Rs. 1000 million to purchase paddy from farmers during the forthcoming yala season.

This year's yala season is expected to yield a paddy harvest of 140,000 Metric tons.

The Government will purchase 20 per cent of the yala harvest, Agrarian Services and Farmer Community Development Minister S.M. Chandrasena told a press briefing yesterday.

The Agricultural Products Marketing Authority which comes under the purview of the Consumer Affairs Ministry will conduct the Government's paddy purchasing programme. However, the entire paddy purchasing programme will be coordinated and supervised by the Agrarian Services Ministry, he said.

According to the Ministry problems have arisen with regard to storage of the yala harvest. This is because several paddy stores which came under the purview of the Paddy Marketing Board were shut down several years ago and converted into garment factories.

As a remedy, countrywide Agrarian Services Centres will be utilised to store the yala paddy harvest. There are 540 Agrarian Services Centres operating throughout the country. Therefore the Government's paddy purchasing programme will be mainly conducted through these Agrarian Services Centres including the North-East areas, the Minister said.

Under the Government's paddy purchasing programme, a Kilo of Samba paddy will be purchased at Rs. 17.50 and a Kilo of Nadu at Rs. 16.50.

Gathering of the yala harvest has already commenced in the Ampara district. Therefore the purchase of paddy in the Ampara district has already commenced.

Meanwhile, the Government has also made arrangements to export 50,000 Metric tons of paddy to India.

However, the export of paddy to India has been delayed due to certain malpractices that have taken place relating to paddy stocks stored in several paddy stores in Ampara and other districts. Minister Chandrasena has instructed the Ministry Secretary to conduct an immediate inquiry in this regard and submit a report within seven days.

In addition, the transport of paddy to Colombo has been delayed due to checks carried out on lorries transporting paddy stocks at several check points due to security reasons. These paddy stocks are purchased and transported by the Sri Lankan representative of the RGK International, he said.

At present nearly 100 Metric tons of paddy have been brought to Colombo and further paddy stocks are to be transported to Colombo within the next few days for export to India, the Minister said.

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