A shortage of paddy in Sri Lanka has led to the closure of nearly all small-scale rice mills in the Anuradhapura district, according to U.K. Semasinghe, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Small and Medium Scale Rice Mill Owners’ Association. He stated that the price of rice in the market has now surged to Rs.140 per Kg, making it unsustainable for mills to provide rice at the government-controlled price.
Semasinghe explained the situation, saying, “At Rs.140 per Kg of paddy, it’s not possible to supply rice at the government’s controlled price. Farmers do have some stocks, but due to insufficient rainfall in Anuradhapura this season, they are holding onto their harvest rather than selling it.”
He added that government intervention is urgently needed to address the shortage, as the paddy supply has become limited. While large-scale mill owners and intermediaries have enough stock to last until January or February next year, they are choosing not to release these stocks to the open market.
This shortage has impacted rice availability, raising concerns for both consumers and small-scale producers who struggle to operate under the current market conditions.
