Agriculture Minister admits drop in paddy harvest

by Saman Indrajith

A special mechanism was being set up to make rice available at reasonable prices during the upcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year season, Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told Parliament yesterday (24).

In response to a question by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on food crisis in the country, Aluthgamage said there would not be any food crunch here as claimed by Premadasa.

“That is completely false news. There will not be any food crisis in the country. I am telling this with the statistics of the extent of land cultivated during the last Yala and Maha seasons and the estimated paddy harvest. According to the data, there is only a 25 per cent shortfall in the paddy harvest,” Aluthgamage said.

Premadasa said the food security in the country was in danger and the people could not bear the skyrocketing food prices anymore.

Aluthgamage, who admitted food prices had increased rapidly, said that his ministry was taking steps to ensure an uninterrupted food supply.