Agriculture Minister K. D. Lal Kantha said that if it were not for private mill owners like Dudley Sirisena, who are said to be behind the rice mafia, the rice problem in Sri Lanka could have become very serious.
The Minister said this at a media briefing held while participating in a number of monitoring activities by initiating several development programs across the country.
The Minister, who further expressed his views, also said the following.
”We have to protect the country’s farmers and provide them with relief. We are moving with the country’s food security. Last season, the farmers of this country did not suffer, we provided them with all the relief as per the schedule. The farmers did not take to the streets. They did not protest. A good price has been given for their rice.
The scheduled price for maize was received. This has enabled them to make a profit over time, in line with the cost of the farmers.
We are working to ensure that farmers get a favorable price during this paddy season, and we are also seeking the support of the Paddy Marketing Board for this. While making changes to the Paddy Marketing Board for this purpose, we are currently considering a solution to the situation where the Paddy Marketing Board is unable to dry the paddy that comes to it during the season.
We are talking about a private sector that is creating a rice-paddy mafia. If people like Dudley Sirisena were not really in the country, this paddy-paddy problem would have become even more of a crisis. Therefore, with the support of these people, we are seeking solutions to the paddy-paddy problem.”