Cabinet green lights importing 3,000 tons of ginger amid shortage 

 Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardena

The Cabinet of Ministers approved at its meeting on Monday the importation of 3,000 tons of raw ginger within three months to address the shortage of ginger in the market.

The move comes amid a kilo of ginger retailing between Rs. 3,500 to 4,200 at present.

“The importation will be done in stages to ensure that local growers are not negatively impacted and consumers do not have to pay unreasonable prices,” Cabinet Co-Spokesman and Minister Bandula Gunawardena said yesterday.

Speaking at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing, he said the State Trading Corporation of Sri Lanka (STC) will import the ginger, based on the recommendations by a committee established to regulate ginger prices.

On 15 July instructions were given at the Cabinet Meeting to the Agriculture and Plantation Industry Ministry Secretary and to the Trade, Commercial, and Food Security Ministry Secretary to submit a report with the appropriate recommendations finding out the possibility of reducing the retail price of ginger to an affordable price for customers in the local market, facilitating the production of ginger.

Ginger is also a main component of many Ayurvedic medicines.