- CAA unable to pinpoint cause
Despite the Government-enforced regulated price of Rs. 220 per kilo for nadu rice, market prices continue to exceed this amount, averaging approximately Rs. 235 per kilo.
When contacted by The Sunday Morning, Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) Chairman Hemantha Samarakoon stated that the reasons for the higher prices of nadu rice could not be pinpointed.
Samarakoon explained that millers had indicated that they could not sell the rice at the regulated price due to their purchasing costs, which hover at around Rs. 130 per kilo.
“However, we suspect they may be utilising paddy purchased earlier, when prices ranged from Rs. 90 to Rs. 110 per kilo,” he said.
Samarakoon stated that, according to their data, nadu was usually sold at a regulated price of Rs. 220 in many places, although some complaints of overpricing had been reported.
He asserted that whenever violations were identified, necessary legal action was being taken.
“Following the President’s directive, we are conducting a review of rice distribution,” he added.
“We aim to determine if nadu can indeed be sold at Rs. 220 per kilo, verify the availability of adequate supply, and assess any potential withholding from the market. The Government will decide on further action accordingly.”
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Trade Ministry Secretary M.M. Nayeemudeen confirmed that the pricing issue was specific to nadu rice, not other varieties.
“When I checked with supermarkets and the Narahenpita Economic Centre, nadu was being sold at Rs. 220 per kilo. The supply appears sufficient,” he noted.
He added: “The situation is under control in urban areas, but we’ve found that prices are higher in rural areas and small boutiques. To address this, we have instructed the CAA to continue its raids, which are already underway.”
During a recent meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and the CAA, rice millers agreed to release nadu rice at Rs. 218 per kilo.
However, the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute’s Weekly Food Commodities Bulletin for 18-24 October showed that nadu grade I was still being sold at an average price of Rs. 235 per kilo.