• Requests farmers to go ahead and cultivate using organic fertilizer as the government is prepared to pay compensation if their harvest is affected

By Yohan Perera

The government is slated to purchase paddy at Rs.100 per kilogram, Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage said yesterday. 

Minister said traders have also been pushed towards purchasing Nadu at Rs 80, Samba at Rs 100 and Keeri Samba at Rs 125 a kilo.

Farmers are at protests today and are burning my effigies. My belief is that they are not real farmers. They have forgotten that it is the present government that purchased paddy at Rs 80 a kilogram. We would like to request the farmers to go ahead and cultivate using organic fertilizer as the government is prepared to pay compensation if their harvest is affected" he said