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The government has prepared a program for purchasing paddy from farmers in the 2023/24 Maha season as per a Cabinet decision.
Accordingly, after providing loans to the three sectors of small and medium scale paddy mill owners, persons engaged in paddy storage activities and paddy collectors through State and private banks on a subsidized loan basis, it was decided to purchase paddy through them. In the implementation of the paddy purchase program by these people, the sectors mentioned above will purchase paddy under the minimum purchasing prices for paddy presented by the Department of Agriculture.
Accordingly, the Department of Agriculture has presented the minimum purchasing prices for paddy for this paddy procurement program which is being implemented under the full supervision of the Ministry of Finance.
The prices are as follows.
For paddy with a moisture level of 14 percent.
Price per 1 kg of Nadu paddy Rs. 105
Samba Rs. 120
Keeri Samba Rs. 130
For paddy above 14 percent moisture.
Price per 1 kg of Nadu paddy Rs. 90
Samba Rs. 100
Keeri Samba Rs. 120
The government is set to provide a maximum loan amount of 50 million rupees for small and medium scale rice mill owners and a maximum loan amount of 25 million rupees for paddy storers and paddy collectors through state and private banks to purchase this paddy.
This loan scheme is to be implemented throughout the island and only the paddy harvests of 2023/24 Maha season can be purchased under this.
Accordingly, the purchase of paddy should be done at the prices offered by the Department of Agriculture. Also, the supervision of this paddy purchase is carried out jointly by the Department of Agrarian Development with the District Secretariat and the Divisional Secretariat.
The Department of Agriculture took suggestions from all sectors including farmers' organizations in determining the maximum prices. Accordingly, steps were taken by the Department of Agriculture to present these prices. It has been possible to offer a highest price for the 2023/24 Maha season paddy harvest according to these prices.
Meanwhile, Mr. Janaka Dharmakeerthi, Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture says that the Paddy Marketing Board has also used a special arrangement to purchase paddy this year as per the instructions of Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries. Paddy marketing Board purchases paddy especially for consumer protection in cases of rising rice prices as well as in cases of falling rice prices, with the aim of maintaining a stable price for paddy of the farmers. A Cabinet paper is to be submitted for obtaining the Cabinet approval for this. He also said that the Paddy Marketing Board has planned to obtain an amount of two billion rupees for the purchase of paddy.
