Accordingly, a team of technical officials and food technologists from Sri Lanka will visit Indonesia, Myanmar and Pakistan to test rice samples. This was revealed by Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen today (6th July) in Colombo during a discussion with the officials on the progress of rice procurement from abroad.

“We are looking to bring 100,000 MT par-boiled (Nadu) and Samba from the chosen supplier. This will be Government to Government procurement –a speedy way to get rice for our domestic market”, he said and added that discussions are going on to take 100,000 MT rice, from India.

He said that if necessary, they are open for private sector’s support in the supplier countries as well. The Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) under the purview of the minister will be the focal point for this effort on the directions of President Maithripala Sirisena.