The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, under Standing Order 27(2), I raise the following Question by Private Notice regarding Government policies on the purchase of paddy and import of rice, to ensure affordable annual rice needs for consumers while safeguarding farmers. Successive governments have implemented guaranteed price and import policies. About 1.8 million people engage in paddy cultivation, while the total consumer population is around 22 million. Farmers now complain that, contrary to promises, they are not receiving a guaranteed price for their paddy harvest. Therefore, to inquire into Government policies on domestic paddy procurement and rice import trends, I ask:

¶ 02 01. What is the annual national requirement of rice? As of today, what is the quantity of rice in metric tons held in Government stores?

¶ 03 02. District-wise, what is the total paddy harvest expected by the Government from the current Yala season?

¶ 04 03. Can the Government present, by district, the all-in cost per kilogram of paddy (including seed paddy, fuel, fertilizer, and agricultural inputs)?

¶ 05 04. What is the Government’s guaranteed price per kilogram of paddy this season? Is it specified separately for Nadu, Samba, Keeri Samba, and wet paddy?

¶ 06 05. Having considered the cost of production per kilogram of paddy, does the Government deem the guaranteed price adequate? Based on that paddy, what would be the likely retail price per kilogram of rice produced?

¶ 07 06. What percentage of the total Yala harvest will the Government purchase this season?

¶ 08 07. What is the total budgetary allocation for purchasing the harvest? Is it sufficient for the Yala procurement?

¶ 09 08. How many metric tons of rice has the Government imported this year? What is the expenditure? Does the Government intend further imports in the coming months? Given that paddy harvesting has commenced in some regions, does the Government accept that rice imports under such circumstances prevent farmers from receiving a fair price?

¶ 10 09. Has the Government considered introducing a dedicated crop insurance mechanism against cultivation losses? If not, what concrete steps will be taken to minimize crop damage?

¶ 11 Hon. Speaker, this is a very important matter. I will be very brief. Annually, our national rice requirement is around 2.4 million metric tons of rice. Paddy is cultivated in both the Maha and Yala seasons over about 1,250,000 acres. Typically about 65% is met in Maha and 35% in Yala. In 2024, production was roughly 2.8 million metric tons of rice-equivalent, implying a surplus. From 100 kg of paddy, we generally obtain 60-65 kg of rice. Yet we have a serious issue: data gaps and suspicions that rice is being diverted for non-human consumption such as beer and animal feed. While there is a declared surplus, around 40,000 MT of rice is being imported. The Government itself has spoken of a rice mafia in Pettah. The problem is the absence of a disciplined distribution mechanism; instead of addressing that, the Government imports rice, harming farmers. The guaranteed price is said to be Rs. 120 per kg, but at harvest time farmers are compelled to sell paddy at Rs. 85-90 per kg. I ask for structured replies to all my questions.