Polonnaruwa farmers urge President not to allow artificial rice shortages

Monday, 6 July 2020 01:33 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The farmers in Polonnaruwa yesterday made a strong plea to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa not to allow intermediaries to create an artificial rice shortage.

They pointed out that there was a bumper harvest in the previous seasons. “Hence, the attempts to create a rice shortage should not be allowed to succeed,” the farmers requested of the President when he participated at a political rally in Polonnaruwa.

President Rajapaksa told the farmers that after the Government assumed office, it had implemented a systematic strategy for the rehabilitation of deteriorating paddy storage facilities, and to ensure an efficient paddy purchasing process. The President further said that the Government has planned to act in a manner that would not cause any problem to the paddy farmers.

At a meeting at Kaduruwela, the people requested the President to renovate the tanks in the area. They drew the President’s attention to the issues relating to supply of paddy seeds and fertiliser.

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