Sri Lanka has opened immediate talks with three countries to procure a rice tranche to stabilize its domestic markets.
“We are looking for par-boiled (Nadu) and Samba categories now,” said the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen on Thursday (22) in Colombo.
Minister Bathiudeen, joined by Secretary of Ministry of Industry and Commerce Chinthana Lokuhetti and Director General of Finance Ministry PMB Atapattu, was addressing Ambassador Designate of Thailand to Sri Lanka Mrs Chulamanee Chartsuwan, Ambassador of Indonesia to Sri Lanka Gusti Ngurah Ardiyasa and Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan Dr. Sarfraz Ahmad Khan Sipra at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
The minister said that President Maithripala Sirisena aims to strengthen Sri Lanka’s domestic rice supply and that during this week’s Cabinet meeting, the concerned President instructed him to open Government to Government level talks with the three countries for speedy procurement of rice for the domestic market.
“We note with satisfaction of the continued friendly relations and surging trade we have been having with your nations over the years. At this time, our call is different. We are keen to procure rice for Sri Lanka from you through a Government to Government process, but are open for your private sectors’ support as well if necessary,” Bathiudeen was quoted as saying in a statement.
He added: “The Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) under me will be the focal point for this effort and will be in contact with you continuously. After one of you are picked as the supplier of this volume, based on a transparent international procurement process, our expert team consisting of my officials, food technologists, and rice experts will arrive in your country to inspect and certify the entire stock before it would be shipped to Colombo. We are looking for par-boiled (Nadu) and Samba categories at this moment. We can start with 300,000 MT. Even if Sri Lanka would choose one of you as the supplier in this case and leave the others, we are still eagerly looking forward to enhance bilateral trade with all of you-in many other ways.”
