The National Consumer Front organisation has requested the authorities to investigate allegations of rice stockpiling amidst rice shortages.
"Several large-scale retailers stockpile rice and then sell them for high prices," the Front Leader, Asela Sampath alleged at a press conference yesterday (14). “The
Government should begin investigating these businesses."
Moreover, the Front suggested that the Government could import rice from countries such as Vietnam and China in order to prevent the rice shortages.
The current rice shortages are, among other reasons, due to farming being affected by adverse weather conditions.
It was reported that there was a loss of 338,446 acres of paddy fields and that 137,880 farmers have been affected by the destruction caused by the recent inclement weather conditions, according to the Agrarian Development Department.
However, when contacted by The Daily Morning, sources affiliated to a major rice miller, stated that they follow the control pricing that was set.