Paddy stores filled to capacity now

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The Government will continue to provide its fertilizer subsidy to farmers but will desist from buying paddy from them as all Government paddy stores have become full, Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Minister Maithripala Sirisena said.

Minister Sirisena said, he will revoke the order of purchasing 200 kilos of paddy per hectare by the Government from those farmers who get the fertilizer subsidy.

He said all paddy stores managed by Paddy Marketing Board are full since the Paddy Marketing Board introduced the paddy purchasing program last year.

The program was introduced under the Food Protection Program with an aim to create a Government paddy reserve, he said.

The Minister said this at a discussion held at Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute in Colombo with the Govijana Seva Assistant Commissioners..

He instructed the Assistant Commissioners to look into the problems of the farmers . He said, paddy production has plummeted this year because of the dry weather conditions that prevailed in the Yala season.

"As of now the production of paddy has to go up from 4.5 percent to 8 percent by Maha Season in 2009-2010," he said.

"If it seems necessary we will enforce the order and start buying paddy from the farmers," he added.