Rice farmers across Polonnaruwa District's premier agricultural settlements — including Hingurakgoda, Elahera, and Medirigiriya — are calling on the government and the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) to revise guaranteed paddy purchasing prices upward to reflect elevated production costs. Polonnaruwa, often referred to as Sri Lanka's rice bowl, accounts for a major share of national paddy production during both Yala and Maha cultivation seasons. However, farmer federations report that sharp increases in diesel fuel for tractors, imported machinery spare parts, and agricultural labor have reduced profit margins for smallholder cultivators. Cultivators are advocating for a guaranteed purchase price of at least Rs. 155 per kilogram for standard white and red raw paddy, arguing that current market buying prices offered by private millers fail to compensate for seasonal cultivation expenses and climate-related crop losses. The Ministry of Agriculture has initiated regional consultative meetings with farmer representatives and major commercial rice millers in Polonnaruwa to establish a balanced pricing formula that protects farm incomes without triggering consumer retail rice inflation. Agricultural economists underscored that establishing fair farmgate pricing in Polonnaruwa is critical for maintaining national food security reserves and preventing paddy land abandonment.