Recurring grievances of paddy farmers

Paddy farming is not just an economic vocation. It forms a cornerstone of the nation’s civilisation as well as the rural way of living. Painstaking efforts of paddy farmers ensure the availability of rice - the staple diet of islanders. Regrettably, famers who toil hard to produce the staple diet of Sri Lankans frequently lament over numerous misgivings. Often, the grumble is that they do not get a fair price which covers production costs. Or else, they express anger over not being able to find the required quantity of fertiliser for cultivation at the appropriate time.

Almost every prime-time news bulletin over the last month or so has been dominated by the plight of paddy farmers who vociferously claim that millers are offering them a pittance for their harvest. Farmers allege that mill owners are demanding to buy their stocks at Rs. 80 to Rs. 90/kg. The Government had conveyed its intention to purchase Nadu at Rs. 120/kg, Samba at Rs. 130/kg, and Keeri Samba at Rs. 140/kg under the guaranteed price scheme. However, farmers are demanding a guaranteed purchase price of Rs. 140 to Rs. 150 per kilogram to cover the rising costs of fertiliser, agrochemicals, and expenses.

The agitation of paddy farmers across the island has turned into a nasty confrontation with the Government. Some Government ministers have even gone to the extent of terming those who demand higher guaranteed paddy prices as kassipukarayas while Agriculture Minister K.D. Lalkantha has warned paddy farmers not to think too highly of them, as they receive assistance from the Government to purchase fertiliser and obtain water from the irrigation system.

Representing a great irony, the JVP/NPP politicians passionately advocated the cause of paddy farmers while in the Opposition and often chanted the revered Sinhalese proverb – “a paddy farmer is fit to be a king once washed of mud” – to reiterate the romanticism associated with paddy farming in the minds of Sri Lankans. JVP stalwarts in the calibre of Agriculture Deputy Minister 

 Namal Karunaratne promised a glorious era for paddy farmers under an NPP-led Government apart from assuring unprecedented assistance at every stage of the paddy value chain. In a strange twist of fate, Karunaratne, who was well noted for championing the demands of farmer communities during his days in the Opposition has now earned the wrath of paddy farmers for betraying their trust.

Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe, who too hails from the paddy farming-heavy Anuradhapura District, has also come under spotlight over rice imports that some allege have depressed paddy prices. According to analysts, the large influx of imported rice to the domestic market ahead of the Yala harvesting season has created a highly unfavourable situation for paddy farmers. It is reported that following a temporary relaxation of import restriction by the Trade Ministry, over 156,000 metric tons of Ponni Samba together with shipments of Basmati and other varieties had entered the domestic market just before the Yala harvest was reaped. As a result, wholesale rice prices have dropped to around Rs. 150–155/kg, denting the bargaining power of paddy farmers.

For decades, Sri Lanka’s rice market has been characterised by a small group of large-scale private millers holding dominant control, which has frustrated both consumers and farmers. It is alleged that these powerful millers look after the needs of political decision-makers of successive Governments. The Paddy Marketing Board – an archaic, outdated Government entity – can barely stand against the powerful cartel.

Paddy farming, for too long, has been viewed from a political perspective. If paddy farming is not financially viable, farmers must be given the freedom of choice to pivot to other lucrative crops without being constrained by irrational pieces of legislation. Getting emotionally attached to a crop due to political narratives and cultural reasons serves neither the well-being of farmers nor the broader interest of the national economy.