Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-01-24

Sale of the Stocks of Paddy held in the Paddy Marketing Board to avoid the shortage of rice in the market

- The Cabinet noted that the Ministry of Rural Economy has taken steps to convert 90,958 Metric Tons out of the paddy stocks held in the Paddy Marketing Board, into rice and issue same for sale to the Paddy Mill Owners and the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) at district level. The Cabinet further noted that although the CWE has already taken steps to convert the paddy stocks into rice and sell same at Rs.76 per kilogram to the public through Lak Sathosa sale centres, the private paddy mill owners have not released the stocks of rice to the market as anticipated. As such, the Cabinet decided to appoint a Cabinet Sub-Committee under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Special Assignments, to take action, with regard to the paddy stocks still remaining in the possession of the Paddy Marketing Board to be converted into rice and released to the market in a suitable manner through the CWE and the private paddy mill owners and also to take necessary action against the paddy mill owners who have purchased the paddy stocks and failed to convert such stocks into rice.

On the request of H.E. the President, the Government of Indonesia has donated a stock of 10,000 Metric Tons of rice to Sri Lanka and the Cabinet noted that the above stock of rice is due to reach Sri Lanka within the next few days and also if the price of rice in the market further remains at a high level, the Cabinet focussed its attention to take necessary steps to import rice to the market expeditiously from Indonesia and Vietnam including the other nearby countries, as well.