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New paddy purchase prices announced

15 Feb 2022

  • PMB to buy nadu at Rs. 90 a kilo, samba at Rs. 92 a kg, keeri samba at Rs. 95 a kg, from farmers 
BY Pamodi Waravita  The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) yesterday (14) announced the new prices at which it will be purchasing the paddy harvest of the Maha cultivation season from farmers, adding that this year’s purchase will not include any conditions so that farmers are able to sell any amount of their harvest to the PMB. At a press conference held yesterday, PMB Vice Chairman Duminda Priyadarshana said that a kilogramme (kg) of nadu paddy will be purchased at Rs. 90, a kg of samba paddy will be purchased at Rs. 92, and a kg of keeri samba paddy will be purchased at Rs. 95 this season – directly from farmers.  “Unlike in previous years, we will not be stipulating any conditions on the farmers (for example, during certain years, a farmer could only sell a maximum of 2,000 kg of paddy to the PMB). We started the purchase a few days ago and have already bought 35,000 metric tonnes (MT). We expect to purchase about 300,000 MT of paddy this season,” added Priyadarshana.  He further said that the PMB will be purchasing paddy directly through farmers, representatives, and small and large-scale mill owners. “We hope to provide the best possible price for the farmers and a fair price for the consumers. We do not sell to consumers based on the buying price. Thus, Sathosa and co-operative stores will sell at a fair price, thereby protecting the consumers.”  However, earlier this month, several farmers’ organisations said that the Government needs to give farmers a price of at least Rs. 120 per kg of paddy, claiming that the harvest has reduced by about 50% this season as a result of the Government’s ban on the use of chemical fertilisers and agrochemicals.  The Cabinet of Ministers last month approved a compensation amount of Rs. 25 per kg of paddy for paddy farmers whose harvest was reduced as a result of the Government’s policy on green agriculture.  


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