Following a meeting between rice mill owners and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today (22) on the ongoing rice price issue, former Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dr. Harsha de Silva held a special press conference regarding the matter as well.

During the media briefing, Dr. de Silva expressed his support for President Dissanayake's stance on rice price control and clarified that he bears no personal grudge against Sirisena.

"The rice monopoly didn't start today," Dr. de Silva noted, pointing out that problems in the rice market have existed for a long time, even during Anura Kumara Dissanayake's tenure as agriculture minister. "This goes beyond politics," he said, emphasizing that the situation extends beyond personal disagreements or political rivalries.

Dr. de Silva acknowledged that Sirisena had mentioned in a recent press conference that large-scale mill owners are selling rice at controlled prices, even at a loss. "I referred to Dudley here because of that," Dr. de Silva explained, highlighting that the ongoing practice of hoarding by large-scale mill owners, which limits the release of stored rice, remains a serious issue.

"I don’t know what will happen to rice prices after the General Election, but I’m with the President on this issue," he added.

As a solution to the challenges facing the rice market, Dr. de Silva proposed empowering small and medium-scale rice manufacturers through initiatives like the Shakthi Rice brand. He said he believes this approach could help break the dominance of large-scale mill owners and ensure fairer market conditions for all stakeholders.