Price of essential food items tripled since 2022- Dr. Chandrasiri

• Cost of food in Sri Lanka increased 0.80 percent in August 2024 over the same month in the previous year, and food inflation has averaged 10.58 percent from 2009 until 2024

By Leenah Wahab  

Director of Socio- Economics and Planning at the Department of Agriculture, Dr. Chamila Chandrasiri said there has been a threefold hike in prices of essential food items since 2022.  

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) released new price ranges of selected food items yesterday, impacting a wide array of products from staples like rice and sugar to vegetables and dairy products. The price of white sugar has almost doubled since 2021, increasing from 115 LKR/kg to 230-269 LKR/kg. Further, the price of white rice has climbed sharply from 175 LKR/kg to 184-210 LKR/kg.  

According to the Department of Census and Statistics, cost of food in Sri Lanka increased 0.80 percent in August 2024 over the same month in the previous year, and food inflation has averaged 10.58 percent from 2009 until 2024.  

Dr. Chandrasiri told the Daily Mirror that the surge in output prices is due to a rise in machinery and labour costs. “The Department of Agriculture has implemented long term programmes to double rice and maize production and introduced technical packages for paddy cultivation to improve overall yields. We also believe in reducing rice imports and paving the road to self- sufficiency,” she said.  

She explained that the stark increase in food prices comes in response to inflationary pressures, and the CAA has since stepped in to regulate price hikes on essential commodities such as rice. “It was only a few months ago that the price of carrots grew to 2000 Rupees, price stabilization in the market should be of utmost concern,” she said.