Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2019-08-13

Promoting Drying Technology among the Paddy farmers to be applicable for their earning potential

- After milling, although the harvested paddy with high moisture content should be dried properly for safe storage, the delay in drying, incomplete drying or uneven drying will result in the loss of the anticipated standard and hence the paddy farmers will have to sell their paddy stock at a lower price. As such, in accordance with the recommendations of the working committee appointed on the instructions given by the Cabinet Committee on Cost of Living, a proposal has been made to implement a pilot project among the paddy farmers in the Pollonnaruwa District which has a higher production and grows paddy twice a year for popularizing the drying technology. Accordingly, the proposal made by H.E. the President at the request of the Non Cabinet Minister of Economic Reforms and Public Distribution, to provide a mobile drier with a capacity of 02 MT valued at Rs.3 million (without tax) and a fixed drier with a capacity of 6 MT valued at Rs.06 million (without tax) for five farmer organizations each in the Pollonnaruwa District selected by the Department of Agrarian Services, with the assistance of the all Island Rice Millers Association adopting a mechanism for recovering the expenditure incurred by the Government, was approved by the Cabinet.