Sri Lanka beer production not causing rice shortage, volumes tiny: Minister
Sri Lanka’s rice crisis is not due to the use of rice in beer production, as only 0.4% of the annual rice production is used for brewing. The shortage is linked to price controls and import restrictions. Despite 167,000 tonnes of rice being imported, issues persist due to the 50% import tax and licensing restrictions. The beer industry has expressed a willingness to import rice but is hindered by these regulations.
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s rice crisis is not caused by the use of the grain for beer, Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said as price controls made red rice go off the shelves into a black market ahead of the main Maha paddy harvest.
Sri Lanka only used about 16,000 to 18,000 tonnes of rice a year for beer, he told reporters at the weekly post-cabinet news conference.
“If you looked at the volume it is extremely small, to make any impact,” Minister Jayatissa said. “That is not the problem.”
The been industry uses rice for certain blending, the main starch used it malt.
Sri Lanka produces about 2.9 million metric tonnes of rice a year, of which the rice used for beer works out to around 0.4 percent.
There was also no truth in the claim that imported rice being used for beer was causing the shortage, he said.
Already 167,000 metric tonnes of rice have been imported and 8,000 metric tonnes are in the port.
Sri Lanka has import controls on rice. Beer industry officials have said they would be happy to import rice paying the tax, if they were allowed to import.
However, Sri Lanka not only has a 50 percent import tax on rice, but also licensing. (Colombo/Jan22/2025)
To read more about Rice News continue reading Agriinsite.com
Source : Economy Next
Recommended for you
Leave a Reply
Leave a Reply
