Nutritional standard of people will be improved - President

Since dedicated economic centres were intended to provide vegetables and other crop produce to consumers at a fair price, it was vital that attention was paid to prices at these centres and necessary action taken, emphasized President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he presided over a meeting of the Ministerial Sub Committee on Food Security and Cost of Living at Temple Trees Tuesday.

President Rajapaksa said that prices of vegetables, eggs and chicken had shown a downward trend in recent times, but the prices of imported milk foods had been increasing since December last year. He said consumption of wheat flour had considerably decreased and the consumption of high protein foods had shown an increase in recent times. The President directed officials to formulate a practical plan to improve the nutritional standards of the people with the assistance of specialists in the field.

The President directed officials to regularize the use of plastic crates in the transport of vegetables. the average monthly per capita income had increased to Rs 36,451 last year, while the average per capita expenditure stood at Rs 31,331 registering a monthly saving of Rs 5,120. This was a five fold increase when compared to that of 2005.

A press release by the President's media division said special attention was drawn at the meeting towards the Kithul products development project. Officials who gave a detailed description about this project pointed out that a major foreign exchange saving on sugar imports could be made by using Kithul products as a substitute.

They said certain Kithul tappers were now receiving a monthly income of nearly Rs 150,000.

Ministers Basil Rajapaksa, Johnston Fernando, Rajitha Senaratne, S B Nawinna and Douglas Devananda, Deputy Minister Geethanjana Gunawardena, Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga and other officials attended the conference.