National Food Promotion Board, Hadabima Authority join hands:

New move to bring vegetable prices down

The Agriculture Ministry launched a new project on Monday to distribute vegetables at a reasonable price in partnership with the National Food Promotion Board and Hadabima Authority.

Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena addressing a ceremony to inaugurate the project said that this step was taken to counter those who monopolize the vegetable market. He pointed out that between the farmer and the seller, there were eight other intermediaries which result in a vegetable price hike. The farmer and the consumer will benefit from the Agriculture Ministry’s new project.“When the produce is bought direct from the farms, the farmers get a very reasonable price for their produce,” the Minister said.

“We will implement this mobile service in Colombo, Gampaha and Kandy as a start. Depending on its success we will implement this in every main city,” Abeywardena said.

“Providing farmers a reasonable price and building a close relationship with them is one of the main expectations. The other is providing fresh and uncontaminated vegetable to consumers,” he said.