The Small and Medium Scale Rice Millers Association warns that the country will face a food shortage if the distribution of fuel is not addressed within the next 40-days.
Secretary of the Association Muditha Perera speaking at a media briefing in Dambulla said 400,000 hectares have been used for paddy farming in the Yala season.
Perera said 50 litres of diesel is required for machinery to reap harvests from one hectare adding that 400,000 hectares require 20 million litres of diesel.
He said the harvests must be reaped between the 1st of August and the 1st of September, adding that they require 1,500 diesel bowsers.
He noted that farmers cannot wait in queues to obtain this volume of fuel, adding that harvesting cannot be delayed.
Perera also cautioned that the monsoon rains could be experienced by the beginning of October.
