‘Jaffna’ veggies drive down prices

By Saliya Kumara Gunasekara

A speaker from the Dambulla special economic centre told LAKBIMAnEWS that prices of vegetables from other areas of the country have gone down because of quantities of vegetables such as beetroot, potatoes, onions etc. coming from Jaffna.

A Kg. of potatoes from Jaffna is sold at Rs. 55 (stock price), beetroot at Rs. 55, and onion at a price between Rs. 42 and Rs. 45. Due to the heavy supply of vegetables from North to South, the wholesale price of a Kg. of imported potatoes has gone down to Rs. 40 while the wholesale price of a Kg. of imported onion has gone down to Rs. 55.

Banana varieties coming from the North have reduced the price of a Kg of ‘seeni kesel’ and ‘embul kesel’ to Rs. 30-40. A Kg. of ‘kolikuttu’ has gone down to Rs. 85 (stock price).

According to sources from the Dambulla economic centre, if vegetables and fruits from the North continue to come in this way, prices of vegetable and fruits from the South will go down resulting in zero profitability.

The Ministry of Trade and Consumer Affairs intends setting up an economic centre in Vavuniya to sell stocks of fruits and vegetables from the North.

[Full Coverage]

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow TNN on Facebook and Twitter )

Published
Categorised as News