•  2-3 months harvest duration paddy varieties to be cultivated
• Available stocks sufficient for 4-5 months
•  8-month repayment purchasing loans to small-medium-scale mill owners   

The Government plans to begin the 2026 Maha cultivation season about a month earlier than usual to safeguard the country’s rice supply against any disruption that could arise from the anticipated El Niño conditions, according to the Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development Ministry.

The Maha season normally runs from around September to March and is closely linked to the North-East monsoon.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (25), Deputy subject Minister R M Jayawardena said that the Government is planning to address any possible disruption to the rice supply due to El Niño conditions through a number of measures. “We have an idea of the situation with regard to rice. At present, we believe that there’re sufficient paddy stocks for at least four to five months.”

He said that the Government is already providing several forms of assistance to small- and medium-scale rice mill owners to enable them to purchase paddy. “We are giving loans to them to purchase paddy, and these loans can be repaid over a period of eight months. They are encouraged to purchase paddy and keep it in their stores. So, we can get them to release rice to the market without any shortage,” he said.

Jayawardena further said the early start to the Maha season and the use of shorter-duration paddy varieties are also part of the efforts to ensure that rice supplies would not be disrupted. “We are planning to start this Maha season one month earlier than usual. We hope to sow the paddy before 15 October, and we’re looking at cultivating varieties that can give a harvest within two to three months,” he said.

The Government’s move comes as the relevant institutions continue to monitor the development of El Niño, a climate pattern associated with changes in rainfall and temperature across different parts of the world. The World Meteorological Organisation stated in June that there is an 80 per cent probability of El Niño conditions emerging between June and this month (August), with the likelihood rising to around 90% for the next month (September)-December period. Most forecast models indicated that the event could reach at least moderate strength, with the possibility of becoming strong.  

Meanwhile, the Paddy Marketing Board has purchased 45,362 metric tonnes of paddy under the Government’s paddy purchasing programme for the Yala season, Cabinet Spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said yesterday.