Two different accounts of Sri Lanka’s 2024 paddy harvest surfaced in Parliament today, as Minister of Trade Wasantha Samarasinghe and MP Harsha de Silva exchanged views on the matter.

Minister Samarasinghe dismissed the possibility of achieving a harvest of 4.9 million metric tonnes during the Maha season, calling it unrealistic. Responding to MP de Silva’s concerns over inconsistencies in the reported figures, the Minister assured Parliament that he would issue a detailed statement on the matter later in the day.

However, the Minister firmly denied allegations that one million metric tonnes of paddy had gone missing.