Education Secretary of the Front Line Socialist Party (FSP) Pubudu Jayagoda claimed that the current rice shortage resulted from deliberate market manipulation by large-scale mill owners and that there is not an actual scarcity.
He made this observation at a press briefing held at the FSP head office in Nugegoda yesterday (01).
“Normally, Sri Lanka’s annual rice requirement is 2.4 million MT . To produce that amount, 3.8 million MT of paddy are required. Then, in 2024 alone, a 4.2 million MT harvest was obtained in the two main harvesting seasons. The paddy harvest in 2023 was 4.8 million MT. That means we should have a rice surplus,” He said.
He accused powerful mill owners of hoarding rice to inflate prices, claiming their actions were motivated by profit rather than necessity. “When the government agreed to raise the price from Rs. 220 to Rs. 230 per kilogram, mill owners suddenly released stocks into the market. This proves there is no real scarcity,” he asserted.
Jayagoda also highlighted issues with imported rice. “While 79,000 metric tons of rice have been cleared from the ports, much of it is being diverted for flour and animal feed production,” he said, describing the situation as a failure of government oversight.
“According to the information we have received, the rice importing companies are using the rice stocks brought in to produce flour and animal feed at higher prices. This is a very serious situation. The government should take action soon. Now, to clash with large-scale rice companies, the government has made many speeches saying that it will take control of the rice market under the government. But while the business people brought seventy-nine thousand metric tons of rice, the State Miscellaneous Services Corporation brought only seven hundred eighty metric tons. That amount cannot meet even 10% of the country’s daily rice requirement,” he noted.
Calling for immediate intervention, Jayagoda urged the government to investigate and regulate rice stocks held by mill owners and importers.
“The government must break this monopoly to protect farmers, retailers, and consumers,” he stressed, warning that inaction could deepen the crisis.
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