A group of around 30 medium and small-scale millers are engaged in purchasing 2022/23 Maha Season paddy harvest from farmers in the Anuradhapura District under the direct Supervision of the Anuradhapura District Secretary and the Divisional Secretaries.
Initial arrangements have also been made for the provision of Urea MOP and TSP fertilizer for the forthcoming 2023 Yala Season by District Deputy Agrarian Development Commissioner Chaminda Ekanayake. As promised by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, around 200,0000 low income earning families are to be Granted minimum 10 kilogramme rice free during the festive season.
Referring to the beneficiary programme, Anuradhapura Additional District Secretary Sandya Abeysekara told the Daily News that 7,500 Metric Tons of paddy, both processed and damp are now being milled by the millers who are the purchasing agents registered at the District Secretariat."Our aim is to buy a minimum 30,000 Metric Tons of paddy during the Maha Season from the Anuradhapura District. We need only around 5,000 Metric Tons of paddy for fulfilling the requirement of 130,000 low income earning families in the district who are eligible to receive the free 10kg rice pack. It is envisaged that we would be able to buy 15,000 Metric Tons of paddy since it is reported that the majority of farmers are reluctant to sell their harvest to the milliers.
The surplus paddy stocks will be dispatched to Colombo, Kalutara, Kegalle and Gampaha for the implementation of the free rice (10kg) distribution programme islandwide. Anuradhapura District Assistant Fertilizer Director Bandula Kumara told the Daily News that 7,500 Metric Tons of TripleSuper Phosphate are to be distributed free of charge to paddy farmers, who successfully contributed to the 2022/23 Maha Paddy cultivation.
Farmer organisations in the district have urged the Agriculture and Agrarian Development authorities and the Fertilizer Secretariat officials to reduce the price of a bag of Murate of Potassium (Bandi Pohora) which is sold at Rs.19,500 per bag at an affordable price.
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