The Government has approved a plan to convert 30,000 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy held by the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) into rice, with the finished stocks to be distributed through State and private-sector outlets.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the joint proposal to have the paddy processed through the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE), while inviting expressions of interest from rice mill owners registered with the PMB to undertake the processing and supply the rice in five, 10, 25 and 50 kilogramme packs.
A committee comprising officials from the PMB, CWE, Lanka Sathosa, the National Post-Harvest Management Institute and the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute will determine the paddy-to-rice conversion ratio and an appropriate price for the processed rice.
The rice produced under the programme will subsequently be distributed through Lanka Sathosa, the cooperative network and private-sector outlets, according to the Cabinet decision.
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