(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – Lanka Sathosa Chairman Rohantha Athukorala said that 3,000 MT of imported rice had been distributed to Lanka Sathosa outlets last week.
Athukorala said that 20 to 25 percent of the country’s rice needs is supplied through Lanka Sathosa after the controlled prices came in to force.
“Therefore, the supply of rice Sathosa has to be increased to meet the increasing consumer demand at Sathosa outlets,” he added.
“Consumers complained of a shortage of rice supply in the market, including Sathosa outlets even after the controlled prices were gazetted,” he said.
“It was also reported that a kilogram of rice was being sold in the range between Rs.95 to Rs.98 even after the gazette notification was published on controlled prices and some traders were refusing to sell at the stipulated prices” Athukorala said.
“Rice suppliers from island wide economic centres said that it was not economically viable to sell rice at controlled prices, when compared to the cost they had incurred to purchase stocks. They also pointed out that this situation had arisen due to the delay caused in publishing the controlled prices,” he said.
All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation National Organizer Namal Karunaratne said this would create unfavorable situations for farmers.
Special Assignment Minister Sarath Amunugama said Government certified prices should be considered when purchasing paddy stocks in the future and a controlled price mechanism would be rigorously executed.
