Farmers’ groups expressed doubts and questioned the practicality of the authorities’ plans to purchase paddy in order to control rice prices.

Recently, it was reported that the authorities have decided to maintain their own stocks of paddy to deal with rice price fluctuations and rice shortages for which large-scale rice mill owners are blamed. It was reported that the plan involves purchasing around 300,000 metric tonnes of paddy.

Noting that even former governments have come up with similar plans which were either not implemented or did not bear fruit, the National Agrarian Unity (NAU) organisation’s President Anuradha Thennakoon explained to The Daily Morning that the Government should pay serious attention to the practical aspects of its plans because the said plans are less likely to pass on the benefits of the Government’s efforts to the public.

He added that the amount of paddy that the authorities are planning to purchase is inadequate, while alleging that the Paddy Marketing Board does not have adequate storage facilities for the same purpose.

“The Government, or the Paddy Marketing Board, is trying to break the private sector monopoly of paddy.  However, even if the Paddy Marketing Board purchased paddy, how is it going to turn it into rice? The Government does not have a rice mill system,” he said, adding that even the paddy purchased by the authorities have in the past led to irregularities and unprofitable efforts.

Attempts to contact the Paddy Marketing Board to inquire about the Government’s plans were not successful.