No possibility of future rice shortage

Uditha Kumarasinghe

COLOMBO: Information and Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said there is no possibility whatsoever of any rice or grain shortage in the country in the future.

The Government has declared a maximum retail price for the rice. Rice stocks are now coming to the market, he told the weekly Cabinet news briefing. The Government has made arrangements to import 50,000 Metric tons of rice from Myanmar and 100,000

Metric tons from India within the next two weeks. In addition, the Government will receive another 50,000 Metric tons of rice from the World Food Programme. Therefore, the public should not entertain any doubts on a rice shortage, the Minister asserted. Nearly 200,000 metric tons of rice are expected to be released to the market within the next two weeks. This will help stabilise rice prices. "According to our estimates, farmers have adequate rice stocks.

These rice stocks are being released to the market. There is no possibility of a rice shortage," the Minister said.

"Various international magazines have mentioned about a future rice and grain crisis. What I want to highlight is that Sri Lanka has not faced such a crisis. We have a good paddy production sufficient to cater to our local rice demand. If any rice shortage is create in the local market, the Government will take steps to import rice by using our connections with foreign countries," he added.