If traders try to create an artificial rice shortage during the upcoming Christmas and Sinhala and Tamil New Year festive seasons, rice will be imported to control the prices, Rural Economic Affairs Minister P.Harrison said.
He made this comment in Parliament yesterday responding to a question raised by Chief Opposition Whip and JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake under Standing Order 23 (2).
The minister said the Agriculture Department has informed that the rice stocks available in the country as of today would be sufficient until April next year.
“However, there is a possibility that intermediates create an artificial rice shortage in the market. “If there was such an attempt during the Christmas season or Sinhala and Tamil New Year seasons, we will take measures to import 5,000-10,000 Metric Tonnes of Nadu rice to control the prices at Rs.50-60. We assure the consumers that they will not face any shortage of rice in the market,” the minister said.
He said the Cabinet recently took a decision not to release the available stocks of paddy at once, but to release them in stages as there is an expected drop in the harvest due to inadequate rainfall.
“The harvest is going to be not more that 20 percent of the total,” he said. He added a Committee comprising of five Ministry Secretaries including the Finance Ministry Secretary and Agriculture Ministry Secretary has been appointed as of the guidance of the President and the Prime Minister to come up with a new system when selling the paddy to rice mills. “As of that system, small and medium scale rice mills will be revived,” he said.