Storage facilities to be improved:

Liquid milk to be popularised

By L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

The public sector marketing network such as Sathosa and the cooperatives should be expanded to provide a better service to consumers said Cooperative Development and Internal Trade Ministry Secretary Sunil Sirisena.

Fish and vegetable prices at the Peliyagoda fish market, Dedicated Economic Centres and manning market were comparatively low compared to those in the open market during past few weeks.

The Sunday Observer interviewed Trade Ministry Secretary Sunil Sirisena and Hector Kobbakaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI) Director General Lalith Kantha Jayasekera on the varying prices of commodities in the public sector trade institutions and the private sector.

Excerpts of the interview:

Trade Ministry Secretary Sunil Sirisena

Q: Traders have inflated vegetable prices while producers find it difficulty to secure a reasonable price to their produce. Milk farmers too are beset with the same problem what could be done to rectify this situation specially in the interest of the consumers?

A: After the new year and Wesak season there is a scarcity of vegetables since a large stock reach the market during the new year and Wesak seasons.

Manipulations by traders could be controlled by providing storage facilities to preserve the excess vegetable produce during the peak periods and release them to the market when there is a scarecity.

In developed countries cool rooms are used for this purpose. The trade ministry with foreign assistance will introduce a similar facility with Cabinet approval.

Q: When will the new scheme of purchasing and marketing liquid milk come into effect, since the private sector milk powder producing companies have refused to buy the milk farmer's produce.

A: Popularising liquid milk is a difficult task.

There is an effective collecting and marketing system in India where it is handled by milk Cooperative Societies.

Liquid milk consumption is high among Indians.

Sri Lanka had a strong network of milk Cooperative Societies which has failed.

A scheme to popularise liquid milk and an internal marketing network for liquid milk sales islandwide will be launched soon.

The open market traders and super markets find it harder to increase prices of essential food items such as onions, sugar, canned fish, dried fish, rice and dhal due to the competitive prices of the Sathosa and Cooperatives which have sufficient stocks of such food items.

Q: Consumers are compelled to buy fish, chicken and vegetables from private shops where the prices are high since they are not available at CWE or Cooperatives. How do you hope to remedy this situation?

A: The Sathosa and cooperative network needs to be expanded to accommodate all such food items and help consumers. This will certainly help change unfriendly consumer policies of private trading establishments.

Director General HARTI, Lalith Kantha Jayasekera

Q: What were the reasons for the price hike of vegetables and fish during the last couple of weeks?

A: Vegetable prices had increased during the last few weeks with the harvests coming to end of the upcountry vegetables. The price of leeks was Rs. 35 Kg, the highest due to limited supplies from Nuwara Eliya.

The prices of Nuwara Eliya and Welimada carrot fetched Rs. 13 per Kg due to low supply. During the past week leeks recorded the highest wholesale price ranging from Rs. 90 - Rs. 130 per Kg and the lowest was cabbage ranging from Rs. 15 - Rs. 25 per Kg. Bittergoured highest price of Rs. 23 per Kg in Tissamaharama and Embilipitiya during the post harvesting season.

Q: What was the fish and fruit market situation

A: The prices of several fresh fish varieties have increased during the Wesak season due to supply of limited stocks. The wholesale fruit prices have been increased sharply after the rainy and Wesak festival season.

In line with the increase wholesale prices, retail prices of most of the fruits have increased. It is the black marketeers and middlemen who exploit consumers due to the lack of a viable purchasing and marketing mechanism.

These was a government purchasing arm the marketing Department in 1980s which purchased vegetables, fruits and other local produce. The government marketing sector Sathosa and cooperatives should be strengthened to maintain a stable price structure to cushion the impact of fluctuating prices of vegetables, fish, eggs and other essential food items.