Agriculture Ministry urges govt. to halt rice imports

By Ifham Nizam

The Agriculture Ministry yesterday informed the Cabinet that there were enough rice stocks in the country, and rice imports had to be suspended.

Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that he requested the Cabinet to suspend the import of rice until December.

The Minister decided to make that request during a discussion with the Agricultural Seed and Planting Material Association yesterday.

The Yala paddy harvest was now being gathered, the minister said. “With the consent of the government to import rice, the country has imported enough rice,” an Agriculture Ministry official said.

During paddy harvesting in the Yala season, some rice mill owners were likely to exploit the situation and buy the paddy grown by local farmers at low prices, the Minister said.”

Minister Amaraweera said he had requested the government to use the amount of foreign exchange to be saved from the suspension of rice imports to purchase inputs for the development of agriculture such as weedicides, seeders, sprayers, tractors, solar powered water pumps, etc.

Amaraweera requested the seed importers to take steps to cultivate 60,000 hectares of maize in the country in the coming Maha season.

Meanwhile, representatives of the Agricultural Seed Association said that arrangements had already been made for the import of seeds needed for potato, chilli and vegetable cultivation, and that their Association would mediate for the agricultural products needed by the country.

Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture Rohana Pushpakumara, and others, participated in the discussion.