With local paddy production facing a significant downturn during this year’s Maha season, Minister of Trade and Cooperatives Wasantha Samarasinghe announced that rice imports will be necessary to meet domestic demand. Despite the need to bring in foreign stocks, the government has decided to maintain the Rs. 65 import duty per kilogram on rice.
Speaking during a program on Sirasa Rupavahini, the Minister emphasized that the tax will remain in place as a protective measure to support local farmers and to discourage excessive and unnecessary rice imports that could destabilize the market.
He stated that both the Paddy Marketing Board and Lanka Sathosa collaborated in purchasing paddy during the recent Maha season, with Sathosa alone securing approximately 4,300 metric tons.
Minister Samarasinghe reiterated that while imports are unavoidable due to the shortfall in production, the government remains committed to safeguarding the livelihood of Sri Lanka’s farming community through regulatory controls such as the import duty.
