Sri Lanka calls international bids for urgent rice imports

Sri Lanka is calling international bids to import 200,000 metric tonnes of rice after local production was adversely affected this year by the twin effects of floods and drought.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce said in a media statement on Monday that a tender to import a fresh tranche of rice has been called on October 19. “We are making every effort to ensure that there will be no shortages for our consumers” said the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen. “Under the directions of the government’s Cost of Living Committee (CoLC) we announced on October 13 that we will import 500,000 mt rice. The aim of the CoLC is to support our consumers with lowest prices and give steady supplies” he added.

The 500,000 mt was mostly on government to government rice procurement basis. But the ministry noted that the latest tender which too is part of this 500,000 mt tranche involves a far wider supplier base and is under the International Competitive Bidding Procedure. This means that any qualifying foreign government or even a foreign private sector supplier is able to bid for the latest rice tranche-which is 200,000 mt. The breakdown of the 200,000 mt is: 90,000 mt of parboiled Nadu rice, 60,000 mt of parboiled Samba and 50,000 mt of white raw rice. Sri Lankan rice importers too are eligible to take part in the latest bidding. The tender closes on October 30. Details of this tender are now available online for download at http://www.industry.gov.lk/web/images/procurice.pdf

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