Dhal, canned fish consumption up in crisis-hit March
View(s):The government capping the prices of Mysore dhal and canned fish in March to provide relief in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic saw the consumption levels of these commodities rising through the roof in that month, data show.
Dhal was capped at Rs. 65, and a 425 gram tin of canned fish was directed to be sold at Rs. 100 by the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) in April. As a result, the dhal consumption went up three times to 2.3 million kilos while the canned fish consumption grew by 13 times to 2.5 million kilos, data by Lanka Sathosa showed.
The country’s canned fish consumption is approximately 175,000 cans per day. Dhal consumption varies. Pulses, mainly as dhal, were the main source of protein, and also the most common curry in the local context, Lanka Sathosa Chairman, Nushad Perera told the Business Times in an interview on Tuesday. “It’s a good substitute for the vegetables – especially when those prices were rising in March. We saw a big demand for dhal and also canned fish during March,” he said. In March canned fish fetched Rs. 2.5 million in sales and dhal brought in Rs. 20.9 million for Lanka Sathosa. With the CAA issuing a Gazette to remove the ceiling prices of Mysore dhal and canned fish with effect from April 30, this trend has tapered down. April saw Mysore dhal and canned fish sales dipping below 1.9 million kilos. (DEC)