Govt to purchase vegetables through Sathosa branches

Irangika Range

The Government has decided to purchase vegetables stipulating fixed prices through the Sathosa branches islandwide to provide best prices for farmers and as a relief measure for consumers.

Addressing a press briefing held in Colombo yesterday, Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives and Consumer Services Minister Bandula Gunawardhana said that the prices of vegetables have gone down in the local market due to a bumper local vegetable harvest.

The Cost of Living and Food Preservation Committee chaired by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka met yesterday and decided to commence purchasing the vegetables cultivated across the country under fixed and best prices aiming to protect local farmers.

“We will sell these fresh vegetables through the Sathosa branches at concessionary prices for consumers,” He said.

It was also decided to sell these vegetables by keeping a small profit margin to consumers who live in Colombo and suburbs area through mobile lorries and Sathosa branches.

Under this programme, Sathosa branches across the country will sell a kilo of green chillies at Rs.30 while a kilo of pumpkin will be sold at Rs.15. A kilo of brinjal will be priced at Rs.15 while a kilo of cucumber will be sold at Rs.5. A kilo of melon will be sold at Rs.10.

Even though the Government provides a fertilizer subsidy as a relief measures for paddy farmers, the vegetable farmers across the country are not entitled to this subsidy. They face high production costs as well. The final result is that they incur a huge loss due to a huge vegetable price reduction in the market.

Lorries will be sent to seven areas including Thambuththegama Economic Center, Dambulla Economic Center, Stores of Food Commissioners Department in Ranna, Pannegamuwa Co-operative Society, Embilipitiya Economic Center, Sathosa Puttalam and Sathosa Kurunegala for the purchasing of vegetables of farmers in these areas. All these purchases will be supervised by the officials in Sathosa, Samurdhi officials and officials in Civil Protection Committees.