The government has prepared a production cost report for paddy cultivated during the 2026 Yala season, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, K.D. Lalkantha, announced.

Speaking at a special farmers' meeting held in Anuradhapura, the Minister said the report was jointly prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Development, the Department of Agriculture, the National Institute of Post Harvest Management, and the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute.

According to the report, the production cost of one kilogram of Red Nadu paddy is Rs. 76, while the production cost of White Nadu paddy is Rs. 87 per kilogram.

The report further states that the production cost of Samba paddy is Rs. 97 per kilogram, while Keeri Samba paddy costs Rs. 119 per kilogram to produce.

Minister Lalkantha said the government has implemented a policy of determining a guaranteed purchase price by adding a 30% profit margin to the production cost of a kilogram of paddy, in response to a long-standing request by farmers' organisations.

He also noted that the government provides a fertilizer subsidy of Rs. 30,000 per hectare, which has been taken into account when calculating the production costs.

The Minister further pointed out that Sri Lanka still imports significant quantities of essential food items, including potatoes, big onions, wheat flour, rice, and basmati rice.