News
Vegetable prices on the rise again
Up country and low country vegetable prices have sky rocketed. Farmers’ purchasing prices for vegetables from Nuwara Eliya plots such as leeks have reached Rs80-100 a kilo, while carrots are at Rs150, beetroots are selling at Rs200, and salad leaves are Rs400-500 per kg. Potatoes are selling at Rs140 per kg.
Even low country vegetables are fetching high prices in up country sales centres. Commenting on the trend, Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute officials say that the inclement weather – with sudden showers in the hill country – has damaged vegetable stocks. However, these officials believe that by March things would improve.
The farmers say that overproduction of vegetables in up country plots and around 1,200 hectares of area coming under potato cultivation could supply produce to the market. Vegetable cultivation has also been affected by the drop in the tourist trade, with the self-employed vegetable farmer and the trader impacted.
