Once a reserve of 200,000 metric tons of rice is set in place, the paddy mill owners will not be able to determine the rice prices, says Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage.

The Minister mentioned this speaking at a function in Kandy yesterday (March 28).

He stated that there is a surplus of 600,000 metric tons of rice this season, for the first time.

“Everybody tells the media that there is a shortage of rice. But this is the biggest harvest in history. We have produced 3 million metric tons of rice and 5 million metric tons of paddy in 2021. So why can’t we give rice to the customer at a reasonable price?

We now have 50,000 metric tons of paddy. My target is a reserve of 200,000 [metric tons]. After we have gathered a reserve of 200,000, not a single paddy mill owner can do as their whims. We will decide the price of rice in the country.”