Traders from Colombo allege that imported beet roots are flooding the local markets at a time when authorities have not granted permission to import these to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s Plant Quarantine Service has only granted permission to Sri Lankan Catering to import fresh vegetables.
A local trader who claims to have witnessed imported beet root being unloaded at another store, said the consignment was delivered in a small lorry and the stock was from Pakistan. Chairman of the Dambulla Special Economic Center Traders Union, Shantha Ekanayake, said that such an incident was reported and upon inspection, it was revealed that 2.5 tons of imported beet root were delivered to several shops.
Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Agriculture said that the stock of beet roots may have been imported with a consignment of potatoes.
