A special procurement programme to purchase locally harvested potatoes from Nuwara Eliya farmers at a guaranteed price of Rs. 220 per kilogram began on Sunday (10), the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development announced.
Buying will take place at the All Island Agriculture Co-operative Society Ltd. premises in Blackpool, Nuwara Eliya, the ministry said. Each farmer is allowed to sell a maximum of 1,000 kg under the scheme.
Potatoes purchased through the drive will be redistributed to consumers at concessionary prices through Lanka Sathosa outlets. Both government and private sector retail networks have been signed up to participate in the onward sales.
The intervention is intended to provide immediate relief to upcountry potato growers who have been struggling to find buyers for the current harvest, the ministry said. Nuwara Eliya is Sri Lanka’s largest potato-producing district, and a glut after harvest has historically pushed farm-gate prices below cultivation cost.
The buy-back follows recent government measures to stabilise farm incomes and consumer prices ahead of the 2026 Yala season. Earlier this week, Agriculture Minister K.D. Lal Kantha said there is no fertiliser shortage for the upcoming Yala season, and the Treasury continues to subsidise the 25,000 MT urea allocation for paddy growers.
