(UTV | COLOMBO) – The All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation claims rice stocks are being imported by certain factions only to earn commissions.
Chairman of the Association Namal Karunaratne said according to government data, necessary stocks of rice are available in the market at present.
He said Sri Lanka requires 3.7 million MT of rice annually with 3.6 MT for consumption and 100,000 tonnes for cultivation.
Namal Karunaratne noted that based on data available in government bodies, Sri Lanka has produced 4.78 million MT of rice in 2019, 5.03 million MT of rice in 2020 and a further 4 million MT of rice in 2021.
Namal Karunaratne said it is evident that rice stocks are imported only to earn commissions which will have a severe impact on local farmers.