In a bid to address the country's onion shortage, Sri Lanka has opted to import big onions from India through its state-owned enterprise, Lanka Sathosa.
This decision comes following India's recent lifting of the export ban on onions for Sri Lanka, in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Neighbourhood First Policy.'
Discussions at the Ministry of Trade weighed the option of conducting onion imports through either the state or private sector, ultimately settling on Lanka Sathosa as the importer. Chairman of Lanka Sathosa, Pasanda Yapa Abeywardena, confirmed plans to import an initial stock of 2,000 metric tonnes of big onions.
However, Minister of Trade Nalin Fernando emphasized that Sri Lanka's monthly requirement for big onions stands at approximately 20,000 metric tonnes.
