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United National Party (UNP) Chairman Wajira Abeywardena said that it is fallacy that free distribution of rice among low income families during the time of the last government lead to the current shortage in market supply.
Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe repeatedly said that the free distribution of rice during the time of the last government had caused the shortage in supply.
In response, delivering remarks at a media conference, Abeywardena said former President Ranil Wickremesinghe gave leadership to the country when farmers were protesting over the lack of chemical fertiliser for cultivation of their lands in 2021 and 2022. Following the reintroduction of the fertiliser subsidy, he said farmers resorted to cultivation in 2023 and the country received a bumper harvest of 5.8 million tonnes of paddy.
“Once milled, it can produce 2. 4 tonnes of rice. It was a surplus after many years,” he said.
He said Wickremesinghe took steps for free distribution of rice in 2024 among low income families affected by the economic crisis and Rs.10 billion was spent on this.
“Rice was distributed among 2.85 million families. For that, the then government had purchased 61,600 tonnes from farmers. That was to produce 40,000 tonnes of rice. Whether rice is given free or purchased, people naturally have consumption limits. Therefore, it is a fallacy that free distribution of rice resulted in the shortage. Today, people buy rice at higher prices in the market for consumption,” he said.
He said the rice crisis should be addressed in coordination among the government, the private sector, the Agriculture Ministry and the Trade Ministry.
“The lack of experience among decision makers has resulted in this crisis,” he said.