The Hon. Susantha Kumara Nawarathna

¶ 01 Madam Deputy Chairperson of Committees, Hon. Rohana Bandara’s motion is timely, and I thank him. As a Government, we must also convey that we are already preparing to address this issue.

¶ 02 Historically, has the Paddy Marketing Board intervened to maintain a buffer? The highest procurement was in 2015 at 175,000 metric tons. By 2024, it had dropped significantly; stocks had collapsed and been destroyed. We have been in office around 90 days, and we have examined the issues and begun intervening. The rice issue persisted over time; the previous Government intervened by importing rice. What are we doing now? The Paddy Marketing Board has prepared and refurbished 166 stores. The Treasury has allocated funds to purchase paddy. In the Northern, North Central, and Eastern Provinces, many warehouses are now open for procurement.

¶ 03 Hon. Rohana Bandara also raised the seed issue. We have discussed this with the Department of Agriculture. Previously, large-scale seed imports were allowed, but many seeds were substandard and expensive. We are now preparing to produce quality seeds locally not only for paddy but also for vegetables and fruits.

¶ 04 On agrochemicals, there were substandard inputs; these must be regulated, and we are acting on that too. Regarding cost of production and prices: as someone from Anuradhapura and a farmer myself, I note that most farmers are satisfied with current paddy prices. The cost to produce a kilo of Nadu is about Rs. 91–92 according to the Hector Kobbekaduwa Institute and the Department of Agriculture, based on recent consultations. Therefore, farmers are generally content with the current prices.

¶ 05 We welcome this motion. While some may try to score political points, this is a good proposal and we accept it. As a Government, we are intervening with significant resources to address the recurring November–December rice issue. We also recognized that many paddy and rice stores had been abandoned—such as in Galgamuwa, Polonnaruwa, and the Ganewalpola rice mills in Anuradhapura—and left to ruin. We are restoring these facilities to supply rice to consumers at subsidized prices. Thank you.