The government-granted deadline for private-sector rice imports is set to conclude tomorrow (January 10, 2025).
Initially, the government permitted rice imports between December 4 and 20 to address a domestic shortage, during which 67,000 metric tonnes of rice were brought into the country. Following a Cabinet decision, the deadline was extended to January 10, as per a Gazette notification issued on December 24.
As of 12 noon on January 8, over 115,000 metric tonnes of rice had been imported and cleared through Sri Lanka Customs. This includes 45,000 metric tonnes of red raw rice and 70,000 metric tonnes of parboiled rice.
The government has yet to announce whether the permission for rice imports will be extended beyond this deadline.
