Rice retailers cut their losses, while dhal price pops

Until stocks of rice seized by public officials are released to the market, only 25 kilos of rice will be available at the gazetted maximum price, said several traders at the Ratmalana special economic centre.

Rice is not available at many retailers. Traders say they have returned stocks to wholesalers.

“Once we buy rice for government controlled prices, we will sell it, otherwise it is a loss for retailers,” one shop owner said.

While the majority of government-run Lak Sathosa outlets stocked red and white rice, and nadu, most outlets did not have keeri samba.

A manager at a Sathosa outlet said samba and keeri samba are selling out fast. Stocks, sometimes run out within hours.

Last week, the Consumer Affairs Authority issued an extraordinary gazette stating that keeri samba can be sold only at Rs. 125 per kilo, white/red samba at Rs. 103 per kilo, white/red nadu at Rs. 98 and white/ red raw rice at Rs. 95 a kilo.

This week, the Essential Services Commissioner General Major General Senarath Nivunhella along with Consumer Affairs Authority officials walked into the rice millers of well-known operators in Polonnaruwa and seized over 1,000 metric tons. The stocks were transported to Sathosa outlets and Cooperative Stores.

They only seized limited quantities. Meanwhile, the price of masoor dhal, too, has increased to about Rs. 310 per kilo. According to the Census and Statistics Department, dhal was sold at Rs. 167 last year.