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Essential food items: Milk powder shortage worsens

18 Dec 2021

  • Milk powder not a priority, Trade Minister says
By Maneesha Dullewe Sri Lanka is once again suffering a milk powder shortage, a circumstance which the Milk Powder Importers’ Association (MPIA) attributes to the ongoing forex crisis. Speaking to The Sunday Morning, MPIA member Ariyasiri Vithanage noted that they have stopped importing milk powder due to the shortage of dollars in the country. While acknowledging the disruptions caused by the ongoing global pandemic, Vithanage expressed concerns over the plight of importers, saying: “Global milk powder prices have increased. Meanwhile, there are no dollars in the country to import milk powder. Therefore, we are facing difficulties, since the banks are unable to issue dollars upon request. Under these circumstances, how can we undertake imports?” Consumer Rights Activist Asela Sampath said the shortage of powdered milk was causing nutrition deficiency issues among vulnerable sectors of society, such as newborn babies and senior citizens. “Trade Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardana said that Sathosa will not be importing milk powder; does that mean milk powder is not an essential item? Then what is the alternative in this case?” he questioned. Sampath accused the Government of deliberately depriving youth of the country of an essential nutrition source, contending that if powdered milk was unavailable, there should at least be an alternative programme in place to supply liquid milk to the population. Addressing the ongoing upheavals related to milk powder, Trade Minister Gunawardana said that the Government was unable to intervene in this particular issue, as they were currently concerned about goods that were more essential than milk powder. “Doctors don’t recommend milk powder. At a time when there is a global pandemic-induced crisis related to essential goods, our focus is not on milk powder. Instead, the Government’s efforts are directed towards supplying essential items such as rice, wheat, sugar, potato, onion, chili, and dhal during this Covid-19-related consumer goods shortage,” he said. The Minister also observed: “Sri Lanka’s powdered milk market is being run by multinationals, who have earned massive profits from this industry. A significant portion of this country’s fortune has flowed abroad for milk powder purchases. Therefore, at a juncture where there is a prevailing dollar crisis, these manufacturers have a responsibility to take care of their consumers; they could perhaps supply milk powder to their local agent for about a year on credit. However, these multinationals are purely concerned with their profit margins and therefore continue fleecing the country.” Addressing the future of milk powder stocks, importers noted: “At the moment we are carrying on in accordance with Government policies. However, we ask the Government to release at least some amount of dollars in order to help milk powder importers.”


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