Paddy Marketing Board purchases 182,560 tonnes of paddy

Irangika Range

The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) has purchased 182,560 tonnes of paddy from farmers islandwide during the 2010 Yala season and the 2009/10 Maha season.

A PMB spokesman said that 111,789 tonnes of paddy has been purchased by the PMB during the 2010 Yala season recording a 6.69 percent increase compared to the paddy purchasing in 2009/2010 Maha season. He said that 70,771 tonnes of paddy has been bought by the PMB which is a 2.69 percentage of the 2009/2010 Maha season production.

The minimum selling price of paddy is fix by the PMB from season to season considering various reasons including the country's total paddy production and farmers cost which is always decided for the benefit of farmers.

He said once the government fixes the certified price for paddy purchasing, the private sector always increases its paddy purchasing rates above the state price.

Hence the ultimate benefit passes to farmers as they receive best prices for their paddy.

Measures have been taken to appoint officers to purchase paddy at fixed prices from farmers islandwide while expanding paddy purchasing centers across the country.

The country including the North and East has experienced the bumper paddy harvest last year due to many incentive programmes introduced by the government to encourage paddy farming.

Many paddy fields in the North and East have been harvested newly for last Yala and Maha seasons, he revealed.

'A subsidized bag of fertilizer for Rs 350 and loan schemes to grow more, were some of the incentives provided to farmers,' he said.