The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the allocation of an additional Rs. 2.5 billion to the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) to purchase paddy harvested during the 2026 Yala season.

The funds will be provided from the additional Rs. 7.5 billion allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture to implement an accelerated paddy purchasing programme for the 2026 Yala season.

Cabinet approval was granted to a proposal submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to provide the Rs. 2.5 billion to the Paddy Marketing Board on a reimbursement basis.

Of the funds allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture for the Yala-season paddy purchasing programme, Rs. 6 billion has already been provided to the Paddy Marketing Board.

The Board is currently using those funds to purchase paddy from farmers.

However, harvesting has yet to be completed in several areas, including the districts of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Puttalam, Mannar and Mullaitivu, as well as the Mahaweli B, C and H zones.

Authorities have identified that the funds currently allocated will not be sufficient to meet the purchasing requirements in these areas in the coming weeks.

Accordingly, the Cabinet has decided to provide the Paddy Marketing Board with an additional Rs. 2.5 billion to ensure that the purchase of Yala-season paddy from farmers can continue without interruption.