Sri Lanka to import rice urgently due to severe rice shortage

By APD Writer Jamila Husain

COLOMBO, July 7 (APD) - Sri Lanka will import 200,000 metric tonnes of rice immediately from Pakistan, Myanmar and India to meet a rice shortfall in its domestic market, a statement from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said here Friday.

A four member team from Sri Lanka will leave for Pakistan on Friday evening to pick rice varieties afterwhich the team will head to Myanmar to test Burmese rice varieties for the Sri Lankan market.

This year the failure of crops from the Yala season and the floods created a severe rice shortage in the island country.

"We have picked Myanmar, Pakistan and India to import rice, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen, said.

"The Sri Lankan team, after checking both the Pakistani and Myanmar markets, will decide whether to choose Pakistan or Myanmar (or both) to purchase the 100,000 metric tonnes of rice. Whether it is finally supplied by one or both countries, the purchase shall be at government to government levels," Bathiudeen said.

Sri Lanka will also purchase another 100,000 metric tonnes of rice from India immediately.

Bathiudeen said the rice will be purchased from private Indian importers and tenders are currently being received for this.

An Indian supplier is expected to be picked by July 17.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has also commenced government level talks on the possibility of purchasing rice from Thailand, Bathiudeen said.

These talks are conducted to procure rice stocks for any future emergencies and not for immediate use.

A Sri Lankan team will visit Bangkok next week to meet Thai officials and decide on varieties, possibly around 100,000 metric tonnes of rice.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)