Sri Lanka is urgently importing 200,000 metric tons of rice from three countries to meet a shortfall in the domestic market, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said on Friday.
For this purpose, a four-member delegation is leaving tonight to Pakistan and from there will proceed to Myanmar. India is the third country. The team is led by Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Chinthana Lokuhetti and includes two officials from the Finance Ministry and a food technologist from ITI.
Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen said the need to import comes due to the failure of the Yala season and the floods. “We have picked Myanmar, Pakistan and India,” the Minister said in a media release issued by the Ministry.
The official team, after checking both Pakistani and Myanmar markets, will decide whether to choose Pakistan or Myanmar (or both) to purchase 100,000 MT rice.
The Ministry said it is also purchasing another 100,000 MT from India immediately through the Indian private sector.
Tenders from Indian private suppliers are being received and the winning Indian supplier is expected to be decided on July 17. - ENDS -
A Sri Lanka Air Force Bell 212 helicopter belonging to the No. 72 squadron has crashed into the Madhuru Oya reservoir this morning, Air FOrce Media Spokesman Eranda Geeganage said.
Read this week’s Sunday Times for your interesting articles including the ’’5th Column’’.
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