President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed the the Treasury Secretary, Agriculture Ministry Secretary and relevant authorities to start the purchasing of rice directly from farmers. The President had directed the officials at the meeting of the Cost of Living Committee which met yesterday (August 12) at the Temple Trees.

President’s Media Unit sources revealed that the President also directed the officials to strictly maintain a certified fair price for the farmers’ harvest.

District Secretaries has also been empowered to accelerate the process with a direct coordination of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Treasury. Officials had also informed the President that the country has a buffer stock 150,000 tonnes of rice.

Earlier, the purchasing of rice from the paddy farmers was entrusted to the Paddy Marketing Board but, the process of procurement had not proceeded efficiently enough, the President said, justifying the decision.

(Courtesy : Lanka Puwath )