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Veggie prices set to stay high until January
View(s):Vegetable prices are set to remain high until at least mid-January due to low production. Farmers say inferior quality seed have contributed to low yields while erratic weather patterns too have affected the output of vegetable farmers. Farmer B G Victor Yasarathna, 50, from Devahuwa, Anuradhapura said he gave up vegetable farming in September and is ready to grow rice in the coming months.
Vegetable prices are set to remain high until at least mid-January due to low production. Pic by Athula Devapriya
“Some farmers expect the delayed rainfall in December and they have not started to grow anything yet. This can affect the vegetable prices in the next season,’’ he said. He noted that the labour shortage is also one reason for the high vegetable prices. “Young people are not interested in farming and they go to Colombo to work as helpers at building sites.”
Another farmer from Norochcholai, V Pooparasa,65, attributed the high vegetable prices to the prolonged drought. He said water levels in agriculture wells have dropped. Poor quality seeds have led to low yields. Meanwhile, supermarkets go directly to farmers in the hill country to buy high quality vegetables at comparatively higher prices leaving only the poor quality vegetables for the retailers.
W.M. Gunawardena, from the Welimada Uva Paranagama Farmers Association said, many leading supermarkets have set up separate centres to buy vegetables directly from farmers. They pay Rs 10 to Rs 15 more per kilogramme than at economic centres. “They buy high quality vegetables only. Low quality items are then sold at the economic centers by farmers, which are transported to Colombo for retail shops.’’(See below graphic for prevailing prices)
“It is very difficult to cover costs of even the lorry hire, or the loading costs, these days. I am the sole bread winner of the family as my husband is paralysed. I can’t make enough money to buy his medicine,’’ said Ms Dias who is also a mother of four.
Duminda Priyadarshana, head of marketing, food policy and the agri-business division at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute, said every year prices of vegetable prices rise during the off season from November to mid-January.
During this mid-season between Maha and Yala, prices rise because, the area cultivated is less than half that in the Maha growing season.
He said farmers are also reluctant to cultivate as high rainfall is expected in the period, damaging the crop. “Steps have been taken to promote off-season cultivation practices, greenhouse farming, home gardening and urban cultivations to tackle high vegetable prices in the future,” he claimed.
