🌾 Govt. Launches Rs. 16 Bn Yala Paddy Procurement to Stabilise Market

With the 2026 Yala cultivation season harvest underway, the Presidential Secretariat has ordered the immediate commencement of paddy procurement to support farmers and prevent price drops from an anticipated bumper harvest. • Cultivation & Harvest Outlook: Favourable weather enabled the cultivation of ~475,000 hectares for the 2026 Yala season. Stronger production over the past 1.5 years has shifted policy focus from managing supply shortages in 2024 to protecting farmers from falling market prices in 2026. • Funding Allocation: A total of Rs. 16 billion in liquidity is backing this season's purchases. The Treasury has allocated Rs. 6 billion for the state program, while state banks are providing Rs. 10 billion in Odapana loans to support small and medium-scale rice mill owners. • Storage & Supply Management: The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) currently holds 120,000 tons of buffer stocks from the 2025 Yala and Maha seasons. To clear warehouse space for the incoming harvest, 60,000 tons are being tendered to the market, and 20,000 tons are being transferred to Sathosa. Additional space is being secured via cooperative societies, the Agrarian Development Department, and private leases. • Timeline: Official PMB paddy purchases are scheduled to begin on 15 July 2026, coordinated alongside District Secretaries.