• Consumer rights activists, farmers, and Govt. authorities blame low production
• Cite non-compensation for certain crop damages, receipt of untimely and inadequate compensation, racketeering middlemen, pestilential diseases, low tech use, and dry weather

In the last few weeks, an unusual rise in the price of vegetables was reported in a backdrop where the prices of almost all goods and services that people need in their daily lives are increasing at different rates. With the price of a kilogram (kg) of vegetables like carrots being at an unprecedented rate of Rs. 2,500, there is a lot of talk about it, particularly on social media platforms. Currently, the vegetable prices, which have risen abnormally, are gradually coming down, but the Ministry of Agriculture has warned of another price hike of the same nature in the coming months, given the anticipated dry weather.

Fluctuating prices

According to the data obtained from several economic centres across the island, as of yesterday (22), a kilo of carrots was priced at Rs. 1,000, a kilo of capsicum at Rs. 800-1,000, a kilo of green chillie at Rs. 800, a kilo of beetroot at Rs. 700, a kilo of beans at Rs. 600, a kilo of tomato at Rs. 500, a kilo of cabbage and eggplant each at Rs. 450, a kilo of leeks and snake gourd each at Rs. 400, a kilo of long beans at Rs. 350 and a kilo of ladies fingers at Rs. 300.

Compared to the prices that prevailed during the last few days, vegetable prices have come down gradually, but, it is needless to say that even the current prices are unaffordable for the people who are suffering from an economic crisis. In this situation, instead of waiting and doing nothing until the increased prices go down, it is the responsibility of the relevant institutions to prepare a programme so that the prices of vegetables and other crop based products can be maintained without causing injustice to the farmer and the consumers.

Opinion of a consumer rights activist

Speaking to The Daily Morning, a consumer rights activist, Sanjeewa Dhammika claimed that the Government was responsible for the decrease in vegetable production, which was the main reason for the abnormally high vegetable prices. With the notification by the Ministry that no compensation will be made for the damages to other crops except for a few crops including paddy as designated by the Government, many farmers gave up cultivation and this situation led to a significant drop in vegetable production. “Farmers are also part of the Sri Lankan population. When the whole country is going through a crisis, they cannot escape it. As they have to pay for everything at high rates, the cost of production goes up. For instance, when the fuel prices go up, they have to pay more to transport their products to the market. When they have to bear that high cost, we cannot expect their products at a low-rate. The balancing part with regard to this issue is the responsibility of the Government. That is why there are subsidies for farmers. The Government says that they have provided this and that subsidy, but, in reality, they (farmers) get nothing.” He also said that both farmers and consumers are currently suffering and that its consequences will be for the overall economy. As Dhammika alleged, it is a serious problem whether the many subsidies that are said to be given by the Government to the farmers are reaching them (farmers) on time and whether what they receive, if any, is enough. 

Farmers’ side of the story

The farmers say that especially since compensation is provided through a long process, they even have to give up cultivation in some seasons due to the fact that they do not get the relevant benefits at the time of need. Lasantha Dinesh, who is currently engaged in green chillie cultivation in Embilipitiya, speaking to The Daily Morning, said that if crop damage occurred in any season, the compensation should be received before starting the next season. “Most of the time, we grow the next season with the income from this season’s cultivation. Therefore, if the crops are damaged this season, the related compensation should be received before the next season. In that case, we can cover the loss and use the necessary money for the cultivation activities, but, in some cases, the compensation for the crop damage that occurs in this season seems to be received after two more seasons. When it happens that way, we have no other option but to abandon the cultivation activities.” He further said that the received compensation is also insufficient in comparison with the amount to be spent on cultivation. Although the cost of production has increased greatly in a very short period of time, he said that the relevant compensation is calculated based on the values that existed many years ago, and that the relevant institutions should therefore work to update them.

Although compensation is provided for crop damage caused to six types of crops through the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB), the lack of compensation for vegetable crops has also led to the discouragement of the farmers. Compensation payments are made in relation to only six crops, namely paddy, maize, chillie, potato, big onion and soybean and no compensation is given for any other crop damages. When queried about this, an officer of the AAIB, who did not wish to reveal his name, mentioned that since vegetable crops are constantly affected by various diseases and damages caused by weather conditions, it is not practical to pay compensation for them. However, the damage caused to vegetable crops due to various reasons cannot be ignored. Now is the time to find lasting solutions to the difficulties faced by the consumer due to the increase in the prices as a result of the decrease in production caused by such crop damage and those faced by farmers in return due to the decrease in demand for their products.

Anyone would think that if the consumer bears the skyrocketing vegetable prices, then the farmer gets the profit, but, if the farmer too does not get the benefit, does it not show another facet of this country? The story of S. Premasiri, a farmer who grows vegetable crops in the Medawachchiya area, reveals the bitter truth behind the increase in the vegetable prices. "It is true that the price of vegetables has increased in recent days, but we, as farmers, get the same range of prices that we usually get. If we take vegetables to an economic centre and sell them directly to traders, we have to pay extra money as a commission to them. Therefore, vegetables are sold to middlemen who are stationed near the economic centre. There, the middleman buys vegetables from us at a low price and sells them to the traders at a higher price. To put it simply, even if we go to the trader, our products do not get a fair price. When we sell them to middlemen, they also do not give us a fair price.” When questioned as to whether there is a reduction in their production these days, he said that there is a slight reduction. He noted that the crops being frequently affected by diseases has led to the reduction in production, and also that the agrochemicals used for the cultivations being substandard is the reason for the high prevalence of diseases.

Another prominent problem that can be identified while focusing on the decline in vegetable production is that many farmers are not aware of commercial crop cultivation and the techniques used in it. Government agencies like the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Development are running various programmes to make farmers aware of modern technology, but, they have not been able to equip farmers with technical knowledge to a significant extent. The problems in the distribution of resources related to the sector have also caused it. Realising this, the Agriculture Ministry has recently announced that it will take some measures such as transferring the agriculture officers assigned to the Colombo District to other areas.

No measures for price control

When queried as to whether the Ministry would launch any programme to control the rise in vegetable prices and increase vegetable production, the Ministry’s Media Director Dharma Wanninayake said that the Government has never intervened to control vegetable prices. He also said that it is not practical to prepare a programme to control the prices of vegetables which rise and fall especially due to weather conditions. Warning that the production of vegetables will again come down to a significant level in another month or two, he said that the people would have to face unusual price increases again. “The relevant departments have informed us that there may be a dry weather situation again in the coming months. If that happens, there is a possibility that the production of vegetables will go down again and the price of vegetables will rise abnormally like in the last few days. Therefore, as the Ministry, we are asking the people to grow some crops in their lands.”

If it is not possible to develop the food production sector, which is a basic need of the people, the development of any other sector will not get the desired results. In some countries, data on food production and consumption in each area have been collected separately and programmes have been prepared to produce the food required for the respective area in that area itself. If the relevant authorities work to launch such a programme at least at the District level in Sri Lanka, it will help a lot to ensure food security and prevent sudden unusual market changes from occurring.