Sri Lanka’s rice, wheat prices among highest in region: Report
May 6, 2011 04:05 pm
COLOMBO, 6 May 2011 (IRIN) - Sri Lankans are experiencing steep increases in two staple food sources, rice and wheat, because of severe floods and global shortages, says the UN.
A World Food Programme (WFP) analysis states that rice and wheat prices increased by 30 and 26 percent respectively on a year ago, making Sri Lanka one of the worst affected by rising food prices in South Asia.
“In Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, both wheat and rice seasonally adjusted prices have increased the greatest compared to other countries in the region,” according to WFP’s April edition of Market Monitor, which tracks price trends in staple food prices in vulnerable countries.
The increase in rice prices in Sri Lanka has been directly attributed to two floods in January and February that hit the main rice production areas - the north-central and eastern regions.
According to latest UN assessments, about 720,000 of the annual 2.7 million metric tons from the main Maha harvest season (mid-February to March) were lost.
Kulugammanne Karunathileke, secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, said total losses could amount to about one million tons.
Rice and wheat, including bread, make up the largest portion of Sri Lanka’s food basket. A March household income and expenditure survey by the Department of Census and Statistics shows per capita monthly rice consumption is 9kg and wheat, including bread, is about 1.9kg.
