Govt plans to limit rice imports and increase paddy production – Minister

A discussion aimed at formulating a structured plan to resolve the issues faced by paddy farmers was held today (25) at the Presidential Secretariat. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, K.D. Lal Kantha and Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe, the President’s Media Division stated.

During the meeting, Minister Lal Kantha noted that although a specific programme had been implemented for many years to protect paddy cultivation and safeguard paddy farmers, no such structured programme had been introduced for other crops in the country. He emphasized that the present government’s objective is to uplift the living standards of all farmers by ensuring their protection, similar to the support extended to paddy farmers.

The Minister further stated that farmers, government officials and politicians should no longer work in isolation. Instead, all stakeholders must function as a single team to find sustainable solutions to farmers’ problems.

During the discussion, attention was drawn to increasing paddy production by limiting rice imports and formalizing the rice purchasing mechanism. Ensuring high-quality rice at affordable prices for consumers while reducing production costs and protecting farmers was also highlighted, the PMD noted.

Discussions further focused on determining fertilizer subsidy prices while considering global market conditions.

It was emphasized that the government has chosen to implement a fixed price for paddy to avoid unjust treatment of farmers. Additionally, lengthy discussions were held on improving facilities for farmers, including storage, drying and other essential production-related activities.

Minister Lal Kantha directed that production cost reports for every district be provided before upcoming policy decisions, highlighting the significance of utilizing these insights when setting guaranteed prices for paddy, the PMD added further.