Ditwah triggers 8% Keeri Samba shortage

Sri Lanka can currently meet only about 7% of its national rice demand through Keeri Samba, despite the variety normally accounting for roughly 15% of the country's total requirement. Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe stated this in Parliament yesterday (23).

The government originally planned cultivation across an area sufficient to yield over 12 per cent of total rice needs in Keeri Samba. However, extensive destruction from Cyclone Ditwah damaged nearly 108,000 hectares of paddy fields, sharply reducing output and triggering a widespread shortage in local markets.

To cushion the impact of the supply deficit, authorities decided to import Keeri Ponni rice as a temporary replacement.

Certain traders sought to capitalise on the shortage by selling Keeri Samba above the maximum retail price of 260 rupees per kilogram. In response, the Consumer Affairs Authority intensified enforcement actions, fining over 2,700 traders during the first 6 months of 2026 for price gouging.