COLOMBO : President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed all relevant institutions, including the Ministry of Agriculture, to take immediate action to control the unfair increase of vegetable and fruit prices due to interference of middlemen.
Accordingly, it is planned to distribute products purchased directly from farmers to the Narahenpita, Meegoda and Welisara Economic Centres as a pilot programme through a special mechanism implemented through the Department of Agriculture.
Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage held a special discussion yesterday with the business community at the Narahenpita Economic Centre in this regard.
The Minister informed traders that the new programme will be implemented in collaboration with the District Secretaries of Nuwara Eliya, Badulla and Anuradhapura as well as farmers’ associations in the relevant districts.
Also, the Government will take steps to sell the produce purchased in consultation with the Agrarian Service Centres and officials to the traders of the relevant Economic Centres at reasonable prices in safe packaging. Minister Aluthgamage emphasized that the relevant traders should sell their produce to consumers at a reasonable price and also display the relevant prices.
The Minister also pointed out that the Government will bear the responsibility of transporting these vegetables and fruits in standard plastic containers to prevent damage during transportation. During the discussion, the traders informed the Minister that certain shops in the Economic Zones have been rented out and these rents have also contributed to an increase in prices. The Minister instructed the relevant officials to issue Circulars in the first week of January in preventing such illegal activities in the Economic Centres.
