- No plans to amend control price gazette
- PMB recomms. hike in prices paid to paddy farmers during purchasing
Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) Chairperson Hemantha Samarakoon said that the CAA has received information regarding the shortage of rice in the market.
Expressing his views regarding the ongoing shortage of Keeri Samba and Samba rice in the country, he said that through the issuance of a gazette notification, the Government has set a controlled price for rice, and that if rice is being sold at prices exceeding that limit, the authority will take necessary legal action under the existing laws. Due to this, he urged all stakeholders to carry out rice purchases and sales in accordance with the gazette notification.
He further stated that raids related to the sale of rice would continue and that steps are being taken to inform and guide consumer officers regarding this matter. He also mentioned that more than 3,000 raids related to rice have already been conducted and that legal action has been taken in nearly 1,000 cases, with approximately Rs. 95 million collected in fines.
However, commenting further on the current rice shortage, he noted that there is currently no intention to amend the existing gazette notification based on the prevailing situation. Samarakoon therefore advised all parties to sell rice and conduct purchases strictly per the prices stipulated in the gazette.
Meanwhile, the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) said that while the Government is paying paddy farmers what it can, it would be better if the prices could be increased.
PMB Chairperson Manjula Pinnalanda made these remarks during a press briefing held yesterday (15). He added that the PMB has purchased over 46,000 metric tonnes of paddy in the current farming season, and that harvesting has finished in almost all the farming areas. “During this time, we kept 146 storage facilities belonging to the PMB open. Farmers did not bring paddy to some storages, although farmers brought paddy to many of these storages. Paddy was continuously sold to around 109 storage facilities.”
With regard to the purchase prices for paddy, he said that while the prices are subject to change and that they change from farming season to season, the current prices are an average price.