Rice price reaches Rs. 100 mark

Samba being sold at a Colombo shop

Consumer Affairs Minister Bandula Gunawardena blamed the world market as retail rice prices soared this week with the price of a kilo of a locally-produced good quality samba being sold at Rs. 100. The average prices of Samba were ranging from Rs. 70 to 85 while the price of red rice was more than Rs. 65 a kilo. The prices are to likely increase in the coming weeks, according to rice millers.

Rice importers said that although they were selling the Indian rice at a lower wholesale price, the people did not seem to be interested in that variety. The next harvest is expected in early April. However, with the present unexpected heavy rain, thousands of acres of paddy lands have gone under water and this is likely to worsen the situation.

Rice importers claimed that the government did not have a proper contingency plan to maintain supplies and control prices. However, Minister Gunewardena said yesterday that rice was available at a lower price in certain places. He said samba imported by cooperatives was available at state outlets like Markfed, Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies and Narahenpita Government stores with a kilo priced at Rs. 52.50.

The Minister, admitting that there was a rice shortage in the country, said that with the upcoming harvest, the rice prices were bound to decrease. He also pointed out that world market prices had increased in the recent weeks. Rice importers claim that the Government spends millions of rupees campaigning for people to eat more rice instead of flour-based products – but now people cannot afford to purchase rice at an reasonable price.