Rising the prices of rice and vegetables could not be prevented in the future due to the non-supply of fertilizer to farmers on time and the cessation of the import of chemical fertilizers. Secretary of the All Ceylon Agrarian Federation Namal Karunaratne said

The number of farmers engaged in cultivation has decreased and the government’s decision to stop chemical fertilizers has reduced the country’s total agricultural production. he added.

Only about 50,000 tons of paddy has been purchased from farmers in the country so far and all other stocks of paddy have been procured by private paddy mill owners and Due to this, the trade monopoly will be maintained by the private sector in the future, he said

It will be difficult for the government to control the price of rice and as a result, the price of rice in the market will double in the future, he explained.