Officials of the government’s Food Security and Cost of Living Committee are to conduct several preliminary meetings with Ministries of Trade, Agriculture, and Fisheries as well as relevant institutions and organizations to devise a strategic plan ahead of a possible food crisis in coming months, Finance Ministry sources said. This followed a directive issued by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a meeting of the committee held at Temple Trees in Colombo on Tuesday.
Official sources quoted the President as saying at the meeting that the possibility of a food crisis in the world in the future has now emerged due to a string of natural disasters. Even powerful countries may face such a situation by April this year, he added. Almost 15 to 20 % of the food harvest in Sri Lanka may be lost due to current inclement weather conditions, he observed.
The President who noted that the price of coconuts had been controlled to a certain extent added that unlimited stocks of coconut could be provided through Lak Sathosa and CWE outlets. He also stressed the need to monitor the coconut subsidy scheme to find out whether the subsidy given is properly used considering the future demand.
The sources said that Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera has brought to the notice of the President that the people in rural areas have not been hard hit by the cost of living and the country’s poverty level was low compared to previous years. He noted that an assessment should be made on the current food security situation as well as storage facilities to tackle the impending food crisis. |
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