The Institute said a record harvest of 1,916,138 metric tons of paddy is expected from this Yala season.

A total of 501,017 hectares of paddy land had reportedly been cultivated by June this year.

The Institute has forecasted a drop in paddy prices due to the large stocks of paddy that are still available with the millers.

Farmers have therefore been advised to issue the stocks already available with them into the market in order to maintain prices.

The government has allocated Rs. 2.175 billion to immediately buy the Yala season paddy harvest from farmers across the island.