Govt. to provide 10kg rice each FOC in March, April: Siyambalapitiya

Approximately 3.9 million families in the country live expecting help from the government, and therefore, the government has decided to provide them with 10kg of rice each free of charge in the months of March and April, Finance State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said.

Addressing the media, he said the government's paddy procurement program for 2023 for the Maha season has been designed to maximize benefits to farmers and minimize errors.

The minister pointed out that it is the government's expectation to carry out the rice purchase program this year, in order to protect the money as much as possible.

"We are hoping to get a huge harvest from the 2023 'Maha season'. As a result, the government has decided to buy a kilogram of paddy for Rs. 100 from the farmers at subsistence level. They will require funds as soon as they begin harvesting.

If the government does not intervene, the farmers would have to sell the products below the cost. Therefore, the government is focusing to strengthen the farmers' economy, the minister said.