Control prices of rice will remain unchanged, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said during a meeting with rice millers and officials from the Department of Agriculture.
He also highlighted that plans are underway for a long-term program to create an organized agricultural plan, which would provide greater benefits to farmers, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
The discussion focused on prices of consumer goods, where participants had stressed on the importance of controlling the price of rice, the PMD said.
The President noted to the rice millers that they had purchased paddy from farmers after the controlled price was established, adding that he believes it is unfair to alter the price of rice at this stage.
The President also stressed on the need for a formal mechanism that ensures farmers receive a fair price for their rice while enabling consumers to purchase rice at a reasonable cost.
President Dissanayake noted that the price of rice has been artificially inflated, attributing this price instability to the long-term lack of enforcement of controlled prices.
During the discussion, the issue of stock hoarders was addressed, and the President instructed agriculture officials to register this group.
Dudley Sirisena, Nipuna Gamlath, Mithrapala Lankeshwara, Jayasiri Gunathilaka, Menaka Gamlath, and other businessmen representing the Rice Mill Owners’ Association, along with several officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, were present at the meeting. (Newswire)