Rice price hike unfair, say S&M rice mill owners

By Dayaratne Embogama   
Small and Medium Scale Rice Mill Owners’ Association has accused the government and the Consumer Affairs Authority of failing to take action against large scale rice mill owners for increasing the prices of Nadu rice to Rs. 230 a kilo.   
President of the association U.K. Semasinghe told the media on Monday (09) in Anuradhapura that the large scale rice mill owners had purchased massive stocks of paddy from the farmers and created a shortage of Nadu paddy in the open market. “A couple of weeks ago the price of a Nadu paddy in the open market was between Rs. 90 and Rs.100. However it has increased to Rs.130.00 now due to the prevailing shortage. The large scale rice mill owners are responsible for this shortage and the price hike. They are in possession of bulk stocks of paddy which they purchased from the farmers. The controlled price of Nadu is Rs.220 a kilo, but the large scale rice mill owners sell it for the wholesales price of Rs.230.00.” he said. He pointed out that the government and the Consumer Affairs Authority has allowed this price hike to go on unchecked and that it would create a severe shortage of rice in the open market.   
He further said the small and medium scale rice mills were facing the danger of closure for want of paddy.