The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) has not purchased more than 3,000 metric tons of paddy in some Yala seasons after 2016, said Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera.
He said that usually between 2,000-3,000 metric tons of paddy are purchased during the Yala Season. But, during the 2022 Yala Season, more than 7,000 metric tons of paddy was purchased.
"I looked at the data for the last five years. Accordingly, not a single grain of paddy was bought in both the 2016-17 Yala and Maha Seasons. Around 2,082 metric tons of paddy had been purchased in the 2018 Yala Season, but no paddy was purchased in the 2019 Yala Season".
He said that 3,082 metric tons of paddy has been purchased in the 2020 Yala Season. The Paddy Marketing Board does not buy 100 percent of the paddy grown by the farmers. Between 02-10 percent of the total paddy harvest has been purchased by the Paddy Marketing Board. We had planned to buy at least 30,000 metric tons if the two state banks approved the two billion rupees loan and gave it to the PMB. We spent money belonging to the Paddy Marketing Board to buy paddy. But if money is given to us tomorrow, we are ready to buy paddy again, said the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Conservation, Minister Amaraweera.
The Minister was speaking while participating in a discussion held recently (19) to look into the progress made by the Ambalantota seed paddy farm.
He said a discussion is scheduled to be held with the Board of Directors of the Bank of Ceylon regarding the provision of money for the purchasing paddy today. (22) "It is expected that the negotiations for the purchase of paddy by the Paddy Marketing Board will be successful. If we get Rs. 2,000 million to purchase paddy as approved by the Cabinet, we will start buying paddy again. Our country had the largest Rice Research Institute in South Asia. The Rice Research Institute established in Anuradhapura by former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Minister Hector Kobbekaduwa has been closed for several decades now. Also, the representatives of the farmers' organisations stated in the discussions held with me that they do not use the equipment that was there," he said.
"People are facing the threat of malnutrition in our country. Eventhough this situation has arisen due to lack of food for consumption, it is the Government's goal to make the next Maha Season an extremely successful one. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has stated that he will provide all possible support for the uplift of farming. Therefore, we have to cultivate every inch of land in the country," Minister Amaraweera said.
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