The government has increased the registered purchasing price of unprocessed rice by Rs. 4-5 per kilo.

Accordingly, price of a kilo of Naadu paddy will be increased by Rs. 4 to 32 rupees while a kilo of Samba variety will be purchased at 35 rupees per kilo, Rs. 5 above the previous price.

The government re-established the dissolved Paddy Marketing Board and allocated money to purchase paddy to normalize the prices in the market.

The programme to purchase paddy under the new prices will start from the Ampara and Batticaloa Districts and paddy produced in Akkaraipattu and Valaichchenai areas will be purchased initially.