200,000 MT int’l rice tender closes

The international rice tender recently floated by Sri Lanka for global procurement will close at 2.00 p.m. today. 

Meanwhile, 17,000 MT of parboiled rice from India is already in the local marketplace and is now being sold through Lanka Sathosa outlets at only Rs. 74 per kilo. 

“We are making every effort to ensure that there will be no shortages for the consumer,” said the Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen during discussions with top officials at his ministry earlier. 

Accordingly, Sri Lanka floated this international tender on 19 October for a 200,000 MT rice tranche consisting of 90,000 MT of parboiled nadu rice, 60,000 MT of samba (parboiled) rice and 50,000 MT of white raw rice. Along with global bidders, Sri Lankan rice importers too are eligible to take part in the latest tender. Of the 200,000 MT rice called for in the tender, Sri Lanka expects 100,000 MT to arrive in Colombo by end November 2017 and the other 100,000 MT to arrive by the end of December 2017.  

Meanwhile, 17,000 MT of the 100,000 MT rice consignment ordered from an Indian private supplier has been received in Colombo in the last few days and cleared by the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) functioning under Minister Bathiudeen. This is part of the 70,000 MT of parboiled/nadu rice and 30,000 MT of samba rice which was ordered from the Indian private supplier.  

The remaining 53,000 MT of parboiled/nadu is expected to arrive in Colombo by mid-November. Thirty thousand MT of 100,000 MT from India is samba rice, and this consignment is expected in Colombo between mid-November and end-November, with the addition of a 100,000 MT tranche from the international tender which closes today (i.e. 100,000 MT from international tender expected to arrive by the end of November and another 100,000 MT by end of December), by end-November a huge 200,000 MT of imported rice in many categories will be freely available in the local markets at low prices. 

Lanka Sathosa, which functions under Minister Bathiudeen, sells Indian nadu at Rs. 74 per kilo and samba at only Rs. 80 per kilo.      

Under directions announced on 13 October by the Government’s Cost of Living Committee (CoLC) of Sri Lanka, the country will import 500,000 MT of rice to overcome domestic supply shortages as a result of a fall in paddy supplies for three straight seasons. The aim of CoLC and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is to offer Lankan consumers the lowest prices and a steady supply.