The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) will commence paddy procurement for the 2026 Yala cultivation season today (13).
PMB Chairman Manjula Pinnalanda said paddy collection centres are being opened in areas currently recording the highest harvests, with purchasing operations beginning accordingly.
He noted that as large-scale harvesting is currently underway in the Northern, Eastern and Ampara districts, procurement will initially focus on those areas.
The PMB has announced the guaranteed purchasing prices for the 2026 Yala season as follows:
- Nadu paddy – Rs. 120 per kilogram
- Samba paddy – Rs. 130 per kilogram
- Keeri Samba paddy – Rs. 140 per kilogram
The Board has also finalized arrangements to procure paddy through 143 storage facilities across the country.
The government has allocated Rs. 6 billion to the PMB for the procurement programme, while an additional Rs. 10 billion has been made available through an overdraft loan facility.
According to the PMB, the programme is also expected to help small and medium-scale rice mill owners build up paddy stocks, while the Department of Agrarian Development will oversee the procurement process.
