The government has decided to blacklist small and medium scale rice millers, paddy collectors and paddy warehouse owners and institutions who do not buy farmers’ paddy stocks at the minimum price fixed by the government.
The government has made arrangements to provide loans to rice businessmen through several state and commercial banks at subsidized interest rates for the purchase of paddy. Commenting on this, the Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mahinda Amaraweera said that a minimum price for paddy was decided this year to protect farmers and consumers, and currently traders are buying paddy from farmers at Rs. 70-80 per kilo.
The minister also said that the government has allocated an amount of 9 billion rupees for the purchase of paddy