Adequate paddy stocks despite adverse weather

There are adequate stocks of paddy, despite a sharp drop in harvests across the country due to adverse weather said Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

He said that around 200,000 farmer families had been affected due to the adverse weather this year and added that vast acres still need to come under the plough.

“We hope that the situation will improve and help increase cultivation and stabilise food supply,” Abeywardena said.He said that there is an adequate stock for the next two-three months till the next harvest begins and that there is no reason to increase prices.

He also said that steps will be taken to import rice if the weather does not improve. “There has been a 60% reduction of paddy harvests in Anuradhapura due to the dry spell in the area. The lack of water for irrigation has affected cultivation,” the Minister said.The drop in harvests in the Northern Central Province could be off-set by the high yield in other areas,” he said.

Tea, paddy and minor export crops recorded the highest growth rate last year compared to the previous year. The paddy sub-sector grew by 19.5 percent is 2013, the main contributor to growth.The moderation in growth during the first half of last year due to crop damage in the Maha harvest was turned around with the increase in the Yala harvest in the latter half, according to the Ministry of Finance and Planning Annual Report.