Strong crops purchase system

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional district group corr.

In view of the bumper paddy and maize harvests in Anuradhapura district, the Agriculture Department jointly with the Central Bank, Bank of Ceylon, the People’s Bank, Anuradhapura Post Harvest Technology Institute and the Paddy Marketing Board have launched a strong crops purchasing system to avoid any form of exploitation by traders.

In Anuradhapura district maize has been cultivated in 70,000 acres and a harvest of 105,000 metric tons of maize would be marketed. Paddy has been grown on 100,000 acres including Mahaweli ‘H’ area.

Bandula Kumara the Anuradhapura PMB’s Zonal Manager told the Daily News that the PMB has targeted to buy 30,000 metric tons of paddy and already paddy worth Rs. 140 million has been purchased.

Through the assistance of the Grama Niladharis and Agriculture Production and Research Assistants the PMB has been making arrangements to buy maize at the rate of Rs. 28 per kilogram competing with the private sector companies.

The Bank of Ceylon alone has granted loan facilities amounting to Rs. 270 million for maize cultivators.

The farmers who have been earning big incomes from the lucrative paddy and maize market are flocking in Anuradhapura city in large numbers to buy requisites for the New Year.