Govt to purchase all paddy stocks - Minister Johnston

Disna Mudalige

The government is ready to purchase all paddy stocks brought to the Paddy Marketing Board, Internal Trade and Cooperatives Minister Johnston Fernando said.

Minister Johnston Fernando

Addressing a press conference at the Mahaweli Centre yesterday, the minister said the government has allocated Rs 2 billion to purchase paddy of the Yala season, adding that more money would be released if necessary.

He said 90 percent of the paddy stores in Polonnaruwa and Ampara has been emptied to store receiving paddy stocks of the Yala season.

He said Polonnaruwa paddy production has now been received.

He said the paddy price is stable in the market today.

He requested the UNP not to use farmers for political gain at the elections. Reminding how the agriculture industry was ruined by the former UNP regimes, the minister observed the UNP has no moral right to speak on behalf of the farmers.

He said the UNP is only using farmers to come to the streets and protest, while the government is always keen in strengthening the hands of the farmers.

He noted the farmers have been empowered by President Mahinda Rajapaksa as never before, adding that the country has become self-sufficient from rice during his regime. He observed the fertilizer subsidy for farmers has been provided for seven consecutive years in terms of the President’s election promise.

He also noted the President has met farmers on Tuesday and has ordered to defer the recovery of loans obtained by the farmers until the harvest of the next season.

He said the government has decided not to export the previous Maha season paddy stocks. However, he said the old paddy stocks remaining in the stores amounting to about 130,000 tons would be exported.