Significant drop in vegetable prices

Irangika Range

A significant drop in vegetable prices has been reported at the Manning market in Pettah, Dedicated Economic Centers (DECs) in Dambulla and Thabuththegama this month when compared to the previous month. Large supplies of vegetables are being brought daily from Nuwara Eliya, Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Kandy, Matale and Embilipitiya.

According to sources, large quantities of vegetables, including, beans, cucumber, snake bean, pumpkin, ladies fingers, Thai eggplant, wing beans, bitter gourd, carrot, cabbage, radish, lemon, beetroot and snake gourd are reaching the Manning Market from the Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya and Jaffna Districts, which has resulted in a drop in prices.

Prices of tomatoes, brinjal, thalana batu, beans, snake bean, carrot, bitter gourd, snake gourd, wing beans, ladies fringes, cabbage, capsicum, cucumber, beetroot and leeks have come down to Rs 80, Rs 60, Rs 110, Rs 80, Rs 50, Rs140, Rs110, Rs. 50, Rs.70, Rs.120, Rs.60 ,Rs. 180, Rs.50, Rs.70 and Rs. 80 respectively.

“Prices of beans, brinjal, snake beans, wing beans, beet roots and leeks have dropped significantly over the past few days, as large stocks of vegetables are received daily from areas in the South, North and East.

“On the other hand, farmers and those engaged in home gardening have cultivated similar varieties of vegetables which will give a yield within a couple of months.

“Vegetables are being cultivated in 1.5 million family units throughout the country, under the government’s Divi Neguma programme, an official from the Co-operatives and Internal Trade Ministry said. These families cultivate five varieties of vegetables in their home gardens for their consumption while the excess is sold. This was another reason for the drop in vegetable prices and the increase in supply, the official said.

Large quantities of consumer items, including brinjal ,thalana batu, radish, sneak gourd, luffa, beans, carrot, tomatoes, capsicum, bitter gourd, ladies fingers, limes, ash plantain, cabbage, snake beans, wing beans have reached the these two DECs from various cultivated ares and prices have gone down.

Prices of vegetables such as brinjal, thalana batu, beans, capsicum, leeks, wing beans have been decreased by Rs.65, Rs. 35, Rs.101, Rs.35, Rs.38, Rs.50 respectively at the Dambulla DEC ,while prices of a kilogram of brinjal, thalana batu, beans, capsicum, leeks, wing beans have come down to Rs57, Rs.45, Rs.40, Rs.45, Rs.30 and Rs.70 respectively at the Thambuththegama DEC.