Farmers stage fast

Polonnaruwa: Farmers in the Polonnaruwa District in the North Central Province have staged a protest against the failure in the government’s paddy purchasing mechanism.

Over 500 farmers protested outside one of the main paddy purchasing centers, the Pulasthigama Vijitha Multipurpose Cooperative Society in Pamunugama, Polonnaruwa.

The protesting farmers have called on the government to purchase their paddy harvest.

The farmers have lamented that they have been forced to sell their paddy to private traders at a low price of Rs. 20 per kilo.

Meanwhile, a farmer has commenced a fast unto death on the roof of the cooperative society building demanding that the government introduce a proper mechanism to purchase paddy from the farmers.

However, the government says the purchase of the Yala paddy harvest is successful.

The government says it is spending Rs. 2.17 b on paddy purchases and the Paddy Marketing Board has already purchased 43,853 metric tonnes of paddy under the government’s programme at a price of Rs. 30 for a kilo of samba and Rs. 28 for a kilo of the Nadu variety. (Colombo Page)