President orders funds for Yala paddy purchases, seeks release of stored stocks

Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed officials to allocate the necessary funds for purchasing paddy during the 2026 Yala cultivation season while calling for urgent measures to release existing paddy stocks held in storage.

The discussion on paddy purchasing plans for the 2026 Yala season was held this morning (June 23) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo under the patronage of the President.

During the meeting, President Dissanayake pointed out that a major concern was that paddy stocks purchased during last year’s Yala season had not been released to the market in sufficient quantities. He inquired about the steps already taken and the proposals being considered to clear the stocks currently stored in warehouses.

The President also instructed officials of the Ministry of Finance to provide the required funds for the purchase of paddy during the current Yala season.

The condition of district-level storage facilities was also reviewed during the discussion. President Dissanayake noted that maintaining an accurate data system on warehouse conditions and buffer stocks would help prevent similar issues in the future. He directed officials to take the necessary steps to establish such a system.

He further stressed that maintaining adequate buffer stocks of paddy is essential, particularly in view of possible climatic conditions. The President said the matter should receive special attention and should not be handled as a routine administrative process.

Among those who attended the meeting were Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lal Kantha, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation D.P. Wickramasinghe, and several other officials.