Speaking in Parliament, Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that according to this agreement, mill owners would purchase a kilo of paddy within the price range of Rs. “Rice mill owners will not increase this guaranteed price since we would take necessary action against them if they attempt to increase the selling price of rice. Henceforth, paddy prices and rice prices would be decided only by the Government and not by rice millers. Despite the continuous assurances given by the Government that it would end the rice mafia, the prices of many rice varieties have remained high during the past years. Many claimed that the high prices have been artificially created by the rice mafia operating within the country, including farmers, mill owners, and farmers’ unions.
Source: The Nation July 20, 2021 17:37 UTC