The first stock of 40,000 metric tonnes of white long grain rice from Pakistan, a substitute for samba is scheduled to arrive in the country on January 8, Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives and Consumer Services Minister Bandula Gunawardene said.
Addressing a media briefing in Colombo yesterday, the Minister rejected media reports that certain imported rice are not suitable for human consumption since no white rice has been imported by the Government as yet.
“We imported rice from Myanmar when there was a food crisis last year.” Other than that, the Government has not imported white raw rice to the country,” he said.
The Minister said there is no rice shortage in the country as the traders in the private sector have already imported sufficient white raw rice stocks following the tax relief on rice imports.
Traders in the private sector are engaged in selling white raw rice at wholesale price between Rs.45-50 without any shortage. Meanwhile the Laksathosa and Sathosa outlets across the country are providing sufficient rice stocks to consumers without shortage. Accordingly, Laksathosa sells a rice kilo at Rs.57.50.
The Minister said sufficient rice stocks are scheduled to arrive in the country on January 13, 17 and 19. Meanwhile, 1,600 rice metric tonnes as a substitute for samba rice, will also arrive in the country from Vietnam. Adequate rice stocks will be provided to the market to prevent shortage within next few days.
The Sri Lanka State Trading (General) Corporation had imported Pakistani rice which can be preserved for the next two years. “Therefore, we have planned to maintain additional stocks as a buffer stock, when there is a surplus during reaping of the paddy harvest from March. Minister Gunawardene stressed the Government took this decision to provide adequate rice stocks to the market without any shortage after the State stipulated a maximum sale price, to provide relief to the people.
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