Paddy purchasing price up by 100 percent

Irangika Range

In line with the pledge made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his “Mahinda Chinthanaya” manifesto to grant the highest possible price to paddy farmers, the government has raised the purchasing price of paddy by hundred percent from yesterday.

According to Co-operatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando, the paddy purchasing price which was Rs.14-15 per kilo of paddy in 2005 has been increased to Rs. 32-34 through the 2013 budget.

He said this is the first time such a high price will be paid to farmers for their paddy.

Paddy Marketing Board Chairman K.B. Jayasinghe said the government started the paddy purchasing process for the Maha season from the Ampara district from yesterday through the Paddy Marketing Board.

“The process was initiated at Akkareipattu in the Ampara district with all 181 PMB paddy stores open for purchasing paddy.The new prices has been paid for the 2012-13 Maha harvest beginning from the Ampara District yesterday,” he said. “We have been able to maintain a buffer stock of 200, 000 metric tones of paddy in the PMB granaries for the past five years” he said.

“Though certain elements try to create a rice shortage in the country, we were able to release paddy from the buffer stocks during emergency situations,” he added.

From yesterday, the Paddy Marketing Board has been purchasing Nadu at Rs. 32 per kilo and Samba at Rs. 35, an increase of Rs. 4 and Rs. 5 respectively, over the previous prices.