Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage says that he is ready to stockpile rice to control the rapid rise in rice prices in the market. Accordingly, the Minister of Agriculture has stated at a ceremony held in Kandy that he is ready to collect around 200,000 metric tons of rice in the future. After that, the mill owners will lose the ability to determine the price of rice in the country.
Minister of Agriculture makes such statements in an environment where the government is being severely accused by various quarters of not intervening to control the price of rice in a manner that is affordable to the people. Speaking further, the Minister said, “Now we have 50,000 metric tons of paddy. My target is a pool of 200,000. After we have formed such a pool, not a single mill owner would be able to do what they want. Then, we decide the price of rice in the country.”
At present, the prices of all locally produced rice in the market have gone up drastically, and the prices of Nadu and Kiri Samba rice have gone up beyond the means of the people. Farmers’ organizations say that the paddy harvest is coming to an end, especially in the current season. Such an increase in rice prices is unacceptable and will not benefit paddy farmers.
Pillayan and Another Remanded Until the 27th
October 13, 2026
