News
Not a sweet fate
Sweet shop owners express fear over losing their new-year business due to the rising cost of ingredients, as well as due to a strong public opinion that oil used to produce sweets contain toxins.
Consumers remain uncertain whether to buy sweets or make them at home. They also express concern about consuming toxins while enjoying sweets. Most say they expect to buy lesser amounts of sweets this year.
This affects vendors and seasonal sweet producers. They point out that production and sales have become difficult as essential ingredients such as Undu flour, green gram and turmeric prices have increased. The scarcity also means they are unable to buy the quantities required for their business.
Sweets salesmen T Anura, at Madinnagoda, said that green gram prices have reached unbearable prices. A kilo of green gram is Rs 980. “The prices are too high, I can hardly make a profit when I sell Mung Kavum.” Mung Kavum is made with a mixture of rice flour, sugar and green gram. He added that the price of turmeric had also reached unbearable levels making it difficult to maintain the price of Kokis at Rs 20 per piece.
A sweet seller at Baddagana said that customers were asking her whether the Kavum were fried using carcinogenic coconut oil. “It’s very difficult to sell sweets this year. Earlier I used to get orders, but now even the few sales are made with great effort, as consumers inspect and criticise products,” she said.
The Sunday Times observed the lack of customers at sweet stalls and the vendors desperately waiting for business.