Sri Lanka to import rice from India

India has decided to export 6,000 rice metric tonnes to Sri Lanka at the request of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The contracted stockpile of Ponni Samba rice which was kept back in Tuticorin and Chennai ports following a ban by the Government is likely to be exported to Sri Lanka by next week, an official said.

According to officials, import tax on rice has been eased. It is expected that the country would import 75,000 metric tonnes in two varieties by the end of this month.

Sri Lankan Association of Importers of Essential Food Items and Wholesale Traders spokesperson Hemaka Fernando said the release of rice by India was a result of talks between President Rajapaksa and Indian diplomats.

Gains in prices of wheat prompted some consumers in India to have more rice, reducing the amount available for export to the Middle East, West Africa and Sri Lanka.

Commodity Online