Sri Lanka Customs has announced that 3,500 metric tons of ‘Ponni Samba’ rice have been imported into the country to address the current shortage of ‘Keeri Samba’ rice in the domestic market.
The first consignment of the imported rice arrived in Sri Lanka on October 23, while additional shipments were received on Friday and Saturday, according to Customs officials.
Earlier, the Cabinet had approved the importation of GR-11 grade ‘Ponni Samba’ rice from October 15 as part of the government’s efforts to stabilize the market and ensure adequate supply.
Following this approval, the government also decided to exempt importers from the requirement to obtain import control licenses. Based on recommendations from the Food Policy and Security Committee, each importer has been permitted to bring in a maximum of 520 metric tons of rice.
