Sri Lanka donates 50,000 MTs of rice to 10 countries through WFP
Saturday, 15 March 2014 00:10
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Sri Lanka donated 50,000 metric tons of rice to the World Food Program (WFP) for free supply to 10 countries in Central Africa and South Asia. President Mahinda Rajapaksa made a symbolic handover of the consignment of rice to the WFP Representative and Country Director Ismail Omer at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday.
The President stated in the 2014 Budget that Sri Lanka would make a donation of rice to the WFP in appreciation of the assistance given by WFP in the past to feed displaced people affected by internal conflict, tsunami, and various other natural disasters.
The Government’s donation of a rice stock of 50,000 MT worth more than Rs. 3 billion will be supplied to several Central African countries and Bangladesh and Nepal in South Asia, the WFP Representative said. 10,000 metric tons will be supplied for distribution in the Northern Province, Omer added.
Announcing the donation, the Government noted that Sri Lanka has transformed from a rice recipient country under the WFP to a donor country in achieving self-sufficiency in rice.
According to the Finance Ministry, Sri Lanka has reported its highest paddy production in 2013 with 4.6 million MT.
The Government attributes the successful yield to the effective use of its policies such as continuous implementation of the fertiliser subsidy program since 2005, providing a higher guaranteed price for paddy, cultivation of un-used paddy lands and providing cultivation loans at concessionary interest rates while exceeding the level of self-sufficiency.
The Sri Lankan Government has already applied to register as a commercial supplier of rice under the WFP and the WFP has extended its fullest cooperation to the Government in this regard. It would open a new pathway for Sri Lankan suppliers to supply surplus rice production to international markets, the Ministry said.
The WFP has also agreed to provide technical assistance to improve the quality of Sri Lankan rice production. This would help the local rice producers to produce high quality rice with international standards, while improving the competitiveness of local rice producers and allowing local consumers to consume high quality rice.
Last year Sri Lanka donated a consignment of white rice worth $ 4 million for WFP’s programs in Ethiopia and Sudan in the Horn of Africa.
WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.
Ministers Basil Rajapaksa and Johnston Fernando, Acting Minister Neomal Perera, several diplomats and officials were present at the ceremony.
