Govt. to step in to purchase paddy: Minister

The Government will be involved in the paddy procurement this time, according to the Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera.

Minister Amaraweera acknowledged that the farmers are having difficulty with the paddy prices.

The Minister emphasized the need of consulting farmer organizations before arriving at decisions.

He said one of the recommenations was starting the cultivation beforehand so that all cultivation be completed prior to the Tamil and Sinhala New Year.

“There is an issue over the cost of paddy. The Ministry of Finance will have oversight over the paddy procurement process. Banks will be made used to enable financial support, through the intervention of the Government,” Minister Amaraweera further said.

The Government in the past few years has failed to purchase stocks of paddy from farmers, thereby giving an additional advantage to the private sector where they are able to purchase paddy at lower prices.