Farmers Protest
Farmers in the Polonnaruwa District have staged a protest against the failures in the government’s paddy purchasing mechanism.
Over 500 farmers protested outside one of the main paddy purchasing centers in Pamunugama, Polonnaruwa, the Pulasthigama Vijitha Multipurpose Cooperative Society.
The protesting farmers have called on the government to purchase their paddy harvest.
The farmers have lamented that they have been forced to sell their paddy to private traders at low prices like Rs. 20 per kilo.
Meanwhile, a farmer has also commenced a fast unto death on the roof of the cooperative society building demanding that the government introduce a proper mechanism to purchase paddy from the farmers.