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Puttalam farmers say their paddy is being purchased “for a song”
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The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) which promised to purchase paddy from farmers is yet to take any actions Pix and text by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe
- Private mill owners paying between Rs. 60 and Rs. 70 for a kilo; Farmers say they need at least Rs. 100 to make a profit and pay their loans
Private traders are allegedly exploiting farmers in the Puttalam district by purchasing paddy at extremely low prices, while the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) which promised to purchase their harvest, is yet to take action.
The private sector, represented by large-scale millers, deploys agents to negotiate the price and make the price competitive. Last year, and this year, a total of 19,125 hectares was cultivated in the Puttalam district, and farmers said around 600 hectares have already been harvested. Even so, the Government is yet to declare a fixed rate for the purchase of paddy.
Puttalam district private mill owners offered between Rs. 60 and Rs. 70 for a kilo of paddy through their agents, Prabath Sanjeewa, a farmer from the Kottukachchiya area, said.
Prabath Sanjeewa
Puttalam District Secretary H. S. M. P. Herath
“We are cheated by the mill owners. They purchase paddy for a song. Paddy should be sold for Rs. 100 a kilo, for a profit to be made. But it is sold between Rs. 60 and Rs. 70 for a kilo. These mill owners know that the Government does not have enough money to purchase paddy,” he said.
R. Sumanasena, another farmer from the area, said the expenses for cultivation were exorbitant now, and if they did not get at least Rs. 120 for a kilo of paddy, they would give up cultivation in the next season.
Adding to this, H.N. Nadeeka Sanjeevani, another farmer from the area, said they were having difficulties paying off loans, as they were forced to sell at Rs. 70 a kilo.
The Government mechanism to purchase paddy in the Puttalam district had not been activated yet, Puttalam District Secretary H.M.S.P. Herath said.
Some farmers are having trouble paying off their loans due to the situation
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