May 06, Colombo: Sri Lanka today said that despite the deadly cyclone that killed over 20,000 people in the country, Myanmar will export rice to Sri Lanka as agreed.

Consumer Affairs Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that the cargo will arrive this month under an agreement signed in April and the Sri Lankan ambassador to Myanmar had confirmed that the shipment of rice was undamaged.

Sri Lanka has signed an agreement with Myanmar to buy 50,000 tons of the grain.

Cyclone Nargis battered Myanmar four days ago and the death toll so far has risen to over 22,000 and further 41,000 are missing. News reports from the region say paddy fields are littered with corpses.