• The market price of rice would soon increase to Rs.200
• The price of paddy at present is Rs.100 a kilo

By K.G. Karunaratne

President of the All Ceylon Rice Mill Owners’ Association, B.K. Ranjith said the production cost of rice had shot up to Rs.169 and that it would result in an increase in the market price of rice to Rs.200 soon.

He said the price of paddy at present was Rs.100 a kilo, and it would further increase due to the ongoing racket of the large scale rice mill owners. He accused the government of allowing it to go on unchecked. 

 “The price of rice has been increasing continually after the government withdrew the price control. The All Ceylon Rice Mill Owners’ Association had warned the government of this situation and protested against withdrawing the price control. The consumers who are already facing hardship due to the cost of living has been further burdened with the arbitrary rice price hike. A handful of large scale rice mill owners are behind this racket. Meanwhile, more than 500 small and medium scale rice  mills that met 50 per cent of the country’s requirement of rice  have been closed,” he said.  

He stressed the need to re-introduce the price control to save the small and medium scale rice mill owners and the consumers from this racket.