The Ministry of Agriculture has launched a comprehensive survey of paddy stocks stored across Sri Lanka, set to be conducted today and tomorrow. Ministry Secretary M.P.N.M. Wickramasinghe announced that a dedicated team, including officials from the Consumer Affairs Authority, will oversee the survey.
Special focus will be on inspecting paddy warehouses in the key districts of Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura, and Ampara, which are known for substantial paddy storage. The survey will also extend to warehouses owned by both small and medium-scale as well as large-scale paddy mill operators.
Secretary Wickramasinghe noted that findings from the survey will be presented to the President immediately after its conclusion. He also confirmed the Ministry’s commitment to maintaining safety stocks by purchasing paddy from the high season harvest, prioritizing small and medium-scale millers. The Paddy Marketing Board plans to secure a safety stock of 400,000 metric tons.
Despite a recent agreement between the President and large-scale mill owners to release rice below the control price, market surveys indicate that prices have yet to decrease. While rice millers have cited a shortage of Nadu rice, Wickramasinghe pointed out that 78 percent of last season’s paddy was cultivated with Nadu, suggesting sufficient availability.
