‘Country needs active rice market’

Sri Lanka produces sufficient rice for the entire country’s consumption and needs to focus on the export market.

Five of the districts in the country produce rice that is sufficient for consumption and measures are needed to reduce the cost of production. However, the country needs to have an active market for the benefit of the farming community, Rural Returns (Guarantee) Limited Co-Founder and Managing Director J Charitha Ratwatte Jr told the Daily News Business.

The market growth could be facilitated by creating demand and through competitiveness. The selected special varieties of paddy could be promoted in areas that are suited for these crops. The new varieties could be adopted to certain conditions and the production could be exported, he said.

“We provide assistance to farmers to grow these new varieties aiming at the export market, especially the USA. The farmers are given a premium price and the production could yield high returns through the export market,” he said.

The promotion of organic cultivation has multiple benefits and in the long-run Sri Lanka could have a positive impact in soil fertility and enrichment.

The company has already planned to export four to eight tonnes as its first shipment which will followed by 20 tonnes from the harvest of the next season, Ratwatte said.

SJ