Kilo of rice might hit Rs 500, says farmers’ association leader

By Sujeewa Tathsara and Aruna Bogahwatte  

The price of a kilo of rice would exceed Rs 500 mark soon, National Organiser of the All Ceylon Agrarian Federation, Namal Karunaratne, told The Island yesterday.

Karunarante said that paddy cultivation during the current Maha season had suffered huge blows and it would inevitably result in massive decreases in the harvest.

“Currently the price of a kilo of rice varies but the average is between Rs 140 and 165. With a drop in the paddy yield, this will hit the Rs 500 mark sooner than expected. Some farmers who had fertiliser started cultivation but their cultivations would not yield a harvest that is sufficient to meet the market requirements,” Karunaratne said.

Karunaratne said that most farmers had invested between Rs 10,000 to 15,000 per acre of paddy cultivation. The government had promised to compensate for cultivation losses. The amount the government is going to pay is between Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000. Most farmers are not ready to accept that amount, Karunaratne said.

Meanwhile, the United Paddy Farmers’ Association of Anuradhapura, Matale and Polonnaruwa Districts yesterday said that if the government failed to give them the required chemical fertiliser for the Maha season they would not sell their paddy harvest to the Paddy Marketing Board.