Severe shortage imminent if rice not imported within next two weeks

4 December 2024 11:54 am Views - 1958

Colombo, December 4 (Daily Mirror) - The All Ceylon Small and Medium Scale Rice Mill Owners' Association warned that the country could face a severe rice shortage unless the government imports the required stocks of rice within the next two weeks.

Addressing the media, association president U.K. Semasinghe said the government should implement a long term programme to solve the rice shortage.

"The government should go for a long term solution. If not, the country will face another crisis. The Paddy Marketing Board should prepare a systematic programme to purchase paddy for the Yala season to overcome this crisis. Also, if the government does not import rice very soon as a short-term solution, there may be a severe shortage of rice in the market in such a situation," Semasinghe warned.

He noted that regulating the supply of rice for the production of beer and animal feed is a very important issue.

Meanwhile, former Agriculture Director K.B. Gunaratne says that instead of providing compensation for the paddy fields damaged by the floods, steps should be taken to replant them.