Despite reports of a rice shortage in Colombo and its suburbs, Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Food Security R.M. Jayawardana has assured that there is no shortage in the market at present.

“The country has abundant available rice stocks. Earlier, there was a shortage of keeri samba, but that has now been resolved with fresh stocks arriving in the market,” he told The Sunday Morning.

However, recent observations by The Sunday Morning suggest otherwise. 

Last week, major supermarkets in Colombo reportedly ran low on rice stocks, and many retailers selling keeri samba were seen keeping rice hidden from display, fuelling public concern.

To address the shortage of keeri samba, the Government has imported a total of 3,500 MT of ponni samba, according to Sri Lanka Customs. 

The first consignment arrived on 23 October, with further shipments received in the last two days.

The Cabinet of Ministers had earlier approved the importation of GR-11 grade ponni samba from 15 October as a temporary solution to the local shortage. 

The Government also exempted importers from obtaining import control licences, allowing each importer to bring in up to 520 MT, based on recommendations from the Food Policy and Security Committee.

With these measures in place, the authorities maintain that the market will remain stable and that consumers will have access to essential rice supplies in the coming weeks.