More paddy purchasing in Anuradhapura

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional district group correspondent

The Anuradhapura paddy marketing board (PMB) will buy more paddy to maintain a buffer paddy stock to prevent an artificial price increase.

Anuradhapura PMB zonal Manager Bandula Kumara told the that Daily News the Anuradhapura branch has managed to purchase 50,000 kilos of paddy at competitive prices. A samba kilo was purchased for Rs. 30 and Nadu for Rs. 28.

He said the aim was to purchase at least 1,000 paddy metric tons.

Private sector paddy dealers have been collecting massive stocks especially the samba variety paying the farmers Rs. 38 per a kilo and Rs. 32 to Rs. 33.50 for Nadu.

Funds amounting to Rs. 10 million have been disbursed through district secretaries.

However, farmer organisations and cooperative societies in Anuradhapura have surrendered to the private sector buyers as they offer exorbitant prices.