The government will process 30,000 metric tons of paddy held by the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) into rice and release it to the market to help facilitate the government’s paddy purchasing programme.
The decision follows a recommendation made at the 34th Food Policy and Security Committee meeting held on July 22, 2026.
Under the Cabinet-approved proposal jointly submitted by the ministers of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation and Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) will oversee the conversion of the paddy into rice.
The CWE will call for expressions of interest from rice mill owners registered with the PMB to process the 30,000 metric tons of paddy and supply the rice in 5 kg, 10 kg, 25 kg and 50 kg packages.
A pricing committee comprising officials from the PMB, CWE, Lanka Sathosa, the National Institute of Postharvest Management and the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute will determine the paddy-to-rice conversion ratio and an appropriate price for the rice.
The rice produced under the programme will be distributed to the market through Lanka Sathosa, the cooperative network and private-sector operators. (Newswire)
