Food prices drop in Jaffna

by Ananth Palakidnar

Reports from Jaffna said that the prices of vegetables and fruits in Jaffna have dropped drastically.

The prices of vegetables have come down with onions, and potato being sold for Rs. 10 a kilo, a kilo of plantains at Rs. 10 along with grapes being sold at Rs. 60 a kilo.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishop of Jaffna the Rt. Rev. Thomas Savuntharanayagam expressing his concern over the travelling difficulties of Jaffna civilians between the north and south has urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to operate an alternative ship service between the Kurikattuwan jetty in the north and Mannar harbour to save travelling time.

Bishop Savuntharanayagam had written a letter to President Rajapaksa last week outlining the difficulties faced by the people in Jaffna in sailing between Kankesanthurai and Trincomalee.

The sailing time between the two ports takes around eight to ten hours and the Jaffna farming community also faces problems in transporting their products in time to the southern markets.