Sri Lanka, Jan. 31 -- Former Agriculture Director K.B. Gunaratne claims that the government is avoiding setting a guaranteed price for paddy out of fear that the controlled price of rice will increase.

Farmers accuse the government of failing to ensure a stable price, with reports indicating that 35% of the harvest has been lost this season. As a result, they are forced to sell their paddy to private mill owners at prices ranging between Rs. 80 and 90 per kilo.

In Kantale, where harvesting is currently underway, paddy is reportedly being sold for less than Rs. 100 per kilo in Jayanthipura. Parakrama Samudra Farmers' Organization Chairman Jagath Amarakeerthi has called for an immediate price intervention.

Meanwhile, in Anuradhapura, a c...