The Food Policy and Security Committee has recommended the importation of rice in the near future to ensure an uninterrupted supply for consumers.

A notable increase in rice prices has been observed in the market, along with reports of shortages of certain rice varieties, despite the current harvest season.

Given this situation, discussions were held regarding the need for the Cabinet to prioritize the maintenance of sufficient stock,  through rice imports.

The Committee, chaired by Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha and Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Vasantha Samarasinghe, convened for the fifth time at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday (01). The meeting aimed to formulate policy decisions to ensure food security.

During the discussions, it was revealed that due to excessive rainfall this year, crop damage occurred on two occasions, leading to a significant reduction in the expected harvest.

Furthermore, during the meeting it was stated that the improper use of rice for animal feed is another major reason contributing to the rice shortage. As a result, the Committee also focused on the importation of broken rice for animal feed and the use of alternative feeds to mitigate the impact on livestock production.

Accordingly, the Food Policy and Security Committee approved the formation of a Committee, led by the Director General of Agriculture, to oversee the importation of the required quantity of broken rice through proper mechanisms.

Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara, and other members of the Food Policy and Security Committee, including Ministry Secretaries, participated in the discussions.

Attention of the Cabinet of Ministers have been drawn on the decisions taken by the United Kingdom to impose sanctions on four Sri Lankan individuals recently, and have decided to appoint a committee comprised of three ministers  to submit a report with recommendations on the further measures to be taken after studying the facts in the regard and to empower the committee to obtain the service of any officer/intellect deemed to have subject expertise in the relevant field and considered essential.

The committee will comprise of :

– Vijitha Herath Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism

– Attorney – at – Law  Harshana Nanayakkara Minister of Justice and National Integrity

– Aruna Jayasekara Deputy Minister of Defence

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs to establish a regional office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration within the Jaffna District Secretariat premises this month.