Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperatives, Wasantha Samarasinghe, has attributed the current shortage of red rice in the country to the misguided policies of the previous government. Addressing concerns raised by the public ahead of Thai Pongal, the Minister stated that past decisions had disrupted the availability of red rice, crucial for cooking traditional Pongal rice.
“We’re receiving numerous calls from people unable to find red rice for Pongal. I want to clarify that this shortage is not the fault of this government but a consequence of the previous administration’s shortsighted policies,” the Minister said during a special media briefing.
Minister Samarasinghe highlighted that red rice is primarily grown in regions like Matara, Galle, Hambantota, the South, and the Eastern Province. Surveys conducted in these areas revealed that around 277,315 hectares were cultivated for red rice in 2024, yielding approximately 1.1 million metric tons of paddy from the Yala and Maha seasons. He detailed that the Yala season saw the cultivation of 100,000 hectares, producing 43,970 metric tons of paddy, while the Maha season cultivated 277,000 hectares, yielding 76,000 metric tons.
For the 2025 Maha season, 161,067 hectares have already been cultivated, with an anticipated harvest of 648,200 metric tons of red rice paddy. The Minister assured that these figures indicate there should be no red rice shortage in 2025.
He attributed the current scarcity to the previous government’s distribution strategy, stating that before the last presidential election, 20 kilos of red rice were distributed to areas where people traditionally consume white rice. He criticized this unnecessary allocation for disrupting the balance and leaving those who relied on red rice without adequate supply. “It was a careless move that has caused today’s shortage for Thai Pongal,” he said.
Minister Samarasinghe urged the public to remain patient as the government works to stabilize the red rice supply and ensure future harvests are better managed to prevent similar issues.
