Vegetables shortage, soon - Aruna Shantha

The vegetable supply will come to a complete standstill within the next 03 months, chairman of the All Island Economic Centre Collective - Aruna Shantha Hettiarachchi says.

Around 50% of small scale vegetable farmers have already stopped farming due to the lack of infrastructure facilities, they say.

He said that they had initially warned of the present vegetable shortage last December and January.

Noting that 60% of vegetable farmers are small scale farmers, 50% of them stopping farming has hugely impacted the market, he added.

He also said that small scale farmers also faced hardships as financial lending institutions such as banks are hesitant to provide them with loans.

Mr. Shantha predicts that in this backdrop, a severe vegetable shortage islandwide would take place in the next 03 months or so.

He urges authorities to take swift measures to make available necessary seeds and fertilizer at affordable prices as well as to ensure an uninterrupted fuel supply to continue product transport and distribution.