Warehouses increased to store purchased paddy

Irangika Range

Arrangements have been made to purchase paddy stocks during the forthcoming 2011 Yala season giving guaranteed prices to farmers.

Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando said, a number of warehouses of the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) have been increased upto 250 to store paddy purchased from farmers.

The paddy purchasing has been expedited in all districts to ease difficulties faced by farmers in selling their paddy to the government.

Streamlined plans are underway to purchase the Yala season paddy harvest including by increasing the number of paddy purchasing centers and warehouses in the paddy producing regions, milling paddy in the rice mills and transport them to Colombo for distribution through Laksathosa and CWE outlets.

Minister Fernando said President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assured sufficient funds to purchase paddy during the Yala season giving reasonable prices to farmers for their harvest. The minister has ordered the officials to make arrangements to purchase paddy stocks at divisional secretariat level.