27,458 MT of paddy purchased so far, Govt. says

The government has purchased 27,458 metric tonnes of paddy so far, out of a planned total purchase of 39,500 metric tonnes, Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said today (11).

Speaking at the weekly Cabinet Decisions media briefing, Minister Jayatissa said 105 paddy purchasing centres are currently operating across the country, while another 40 centres are expected to be opened.

He said the government is currently about 12,000 metric tonnes short of its initial purchasing target, with plans to purchase a further quantity after reaching that target.

The government has allocated Rs. 6 billion for the overall paddy purchasing programme, of which Rs. 3.302 billion has been spent to date, the Minister stated.

The highest quantity of paddy has been purchased from the Ampara District, amounting to 13,975 metric tonnes. Anuradhapura ranks second with 4,073 metric tonnes, followed by Vavuniya with 1,525 metric tonnes.

Paddy purchases have also been recorded in significant quantities from Hambantota (1,337 MT), Kilinochchi (1,206 MT) and Batticaloa (1,074 MT).

Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said harvesting is still underway in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, and further purchases are expected as the harvest continues.