Minister orders to suspend use of rice for beer production

31 July 2023 03:36 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 9 Bookmark

CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA Follow

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The Agriculture Ministry has decided to immediately suspend the use of rice stocks for the production of animal feed and beer.

Minister Mahinda Amaraweera took this decision in order to face the possible food shortage in the future due to the current severe drought conditions.

The Minister advised the Ministry secretary to write to the Presidential Food Safety Committee regarding this.

"Cultivated paddy lands in several districts have been destroyed due to the drought. Due to the prevailing severe drought the farmers are facing the problem of not having enough water for their crops," he said.

"Over 50,000 acres of paddy fields under the Udawalawe Reservoir are at risk of being destroyed due to lack of water. At least two more shifts of water should be given to these paddy fields. There is an acute shortage of water for paddy fields in the Anuradhapura district. If there is no significant rainfall forecast for the next few days, there may be a risk of a rice shortage in the coming period due to the failure of the expected harvest in the Yala season," the Minister said.

It is reported that about 100,000 metric tons of rice processed from the paddy harvest of the last Maha season has been used to produce animal feed and beer production. It was decided to use rice in the production of animal feed in order to avoid the decline in the production of milk, eggs and chicken due to the decline in local maize production, especially for animal feed, and the lack of money to import maize, the Minister added. (Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama)

Comments - 9

Johan Monday, 31 July 2023 04:22 PM

India has banned rice export citing various reasons.In US people are in queue for rice purchase.What about in SL in time to come

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Daya Monday, 31 July 2023 04:42 PM

Don't worry, our pundit Minister said, we will be self sufficient in rice...

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priyan Monday, 31 July 2023 04:47 PM

Government should have a proper policy on use of rice for beer production. You can easily stop this , but what is government's plan if farmers cannot sell their paddy at a good price ? If beer production from rice is continued. farmers can get better price

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Sokrates Monday, 31 July 2023 05:44 PM

Due to the incompetence and greed of crooked politicians, many people in this country can only afford a handful of rice a day anyway. Better to brew beer than let the rice rot. By the way, a good beer is made from just hops, malt (barley or wheat), yeast, and water.

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D.M. Lambert Embuldeniya - Farmer from Hambantota Monday, 31 July 2023 07:35 PM

Mahinda Amaraweera, you are drinking imported Beer in 5-star Hotels and at home, but some poor farmers are drinking Local Beer as they cannot effort to pay for Arrack. Stop your stupid ideas.

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Mohan Monday, 31 July 2023 09:21 PM

@Priyan: Farmers can get a better price. But, the citizenry have to pay higher prices for survival.

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Nimal Tuesday, 01 August 2023 07:44 AM

Oh dear! Does it mean that we have to go dry?

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Kumara Tuesday, 01 August 2023 07:52 AM

Sri Lanka's stinking rice is ideal for beer production.

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Local rice farming is not sustainable in the long term Tuesday, 01 August 2023 09:46 AM

Government is mad to emphasize on rice farming for the long term. Many countries like Hong Kong and Singapore import all the rice for their needs, while they make higher earning exports the mainstay of workers there. Agriculture is not sustainable for Sri Lanka, and sooner the import restrictions are lifted the better. Preventing use of rice for animal feed and beer is ludicrous and now prices will go up for them. Allowing unrestricted imports is the only way to allow the public to have decent life in this country.

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