The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) is currently involved in purchasing paddy for the 2023 season. The PMB has received Rs. 500 million from the Treasury and Rs.500 million from the Farmer Trust Fund for the purchase of paddy.
From last Monday (18), the PMB started purchasing paddy and two warehouses belonging to the Paddy Marketing Board have been opened to cover every district where paddy is grown.
During the last five days, the amount of paddy purchased by the PMB is 904,202 kgs. According to the PMB, the amount spent for that is Rs. 95 million.
The PMB has divided the paddy growing areas of the country into seven zones and has opened 36 warehouses to buy paddy in each region, according to PMB Chairman Buddhika Iddamalgoda.
Two hundred and forty-one more paddy warehouses located in seven zones have been prepared for opening at the time of need, if required for paddy procurement activities. The total capacity of these warehouses is 271,400 metric tonnes.
When the PMB started buying paddy, the private sector started buying paddy at a higher price, so the farmers got a good price for paddy this time. But till now the farmers are not providing paddy to the PMB.
Most of the paddy purchased so far is red paddy. That amount is 904,202 kilograms.
Only 4,369 kg of white Nadu paddy has been received.
However, Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera expressed these views regarding the purchase of paddy: “The Paddy Marketing Board has started purchasing paddy. But currently the farmers are not selling paddy to the PMB. But the private sector buys paddy at a higher price. We buy paddy at Government price. Accordingly, a kilogram of Nadu (white and red) costs Rs. 105, Samba Rs. 120 and Keeri Samba we buy at Rs.130. After we started buying paddy, the price of paddy was Rs. 80 to 85 and now it has exceeded Rs. 105.
“We do not get paddy because private rice mill owners buy paddy at a higher price than that. There is no problem with that. We also want to give good prices to farmers. But representatives of some political groups called farmers’ representatives blame us. We say if you can’t sell paddy, give it to us. We are ready to buy paddy. We have prepared rice warehouses across the country for that.
We have the necessary financial provisions. Rs.1,000 million has been allocated so far. So don’t blame us. There is no situation in our country where paddy cannot be sold. If you can’t sell it, give it to us. PMB needs white Nadu paddy. If someone says that we cannot sell, we are ready to send lorries to those places and buy paddy,” said the Minister.
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