Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has questioned the government’s decision to import rice despite what he described as a domestic production surplus, while raising concerns over the price paid to paddy farmers.
Premadasa said the government had promised while in opposition to introduce a guaranteed price of Rs. 150 per kilogram for paddy and make it a legal requirement, but had yet to introduce the relevant legislation nearly two years after coming to power.
He said the Agriculture Minister had told Parliament that the cost of producing a kilogram of paddy was around Rs. 137, while the guaranteed price remained at Rs. 120.
Premadasa said farmers were therefore facing a shortfall of Rs. 17 on every kilogram of paddy sold at the guaranteed price.
He also said that although the government had allocated Rs. 7,500 million to strengthen small- and medium-scale rice millers, paddy farmers were still facing difficulties in selling their harvest.
“Farmers are harvesting paddy, but the government is not buying it, while boards saying that paddy is being purchased are being put up in villages,” Premadasa said.
He made the remarks while attending an event organised under the Samagi Jana Balawegaya’s (SJB) “Sathkaraya” programme in Dehuwala, Galewela, where a water purification and reverse osmosis system worth Rs. 12 lakhs was provided to a community organisation.
Premadasa questioned why rice was being imported when domestic production exceeded the country’s estimated requirement.
He said the annual rice requirement was around 2.5 million metric tons, while domestic production was about 3.2 million metric tons.
Despite this, he said the government had imported around 382,000 metric tons of rice.
Premadasa said the move was placing further pressure on farmers and criticised the government for importing rice after previously opposing such imports while in opposition.
He said farmers involved in paddy, maize and potato cultivation were facing difficulties and called for greater government intervention to address their problems.
Premadasa also warned that climate-related conditions, including possible El Niño and La Niña effects, could further affect water resources and called for relief measures for people facing economic difficulties.
He claimed that poverty was increasing, with between 30% and 40% of the population facing poverty, while some factories were closing. He said the tourism sector, which was showing signs of growth, should be protected. (Newswire)