‘No price increase in imported milk powder, wheat flour’

2026-03-24 - 05:14

Milk powder importers and wheat flour companies have assured that despite the difficulties faced due to the Middle East crisis and escalating fuel prices, they will not resort to increasing the prices of imported milk powder and wheat flour. They had given this assurance during a meeting with Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe yesterday. The company representatives had told the Minister that since there are sufficient stocks of imported milk powder and wheat flour for another three months, no price increase will be made until the end of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year season. During the discussion, the impact on the supply and distribution networks due to the prevailing war and fuel price increases and ways to maintain an uninterrupted supply had been discussed. The company representatives had also told the Minister that although the increase in fuel prices and the value of the US dollar have had an impact on their production and importation costs, they hope to provide some relief to the people in this difficult time together with the Government. They pointed out to the Minister that deliveries have been affected due to the fuel quota and the Minister instructed the companies to register for the special data collection programme introduced with the aim of identifying the fuel needs of transport service providers engaged in the food distribution sector and streamlining the planning of that sector. The discussion was attended by Ministry Secretary K.A. Wimalenthirajah, Additional Secretary Gilma Dahanayake, Director of the Trade and Research Division Kumudu Meegahage, as well as Consumer Affairs Authority Chairman Hemantha Samarakoon, Lanka Sathosa Chairman Ravindra Fernando, Cooperative Wholesale Trading Corporation Chairman Kosala Wilbawa and a group of officials. (dailynews.lk) (This story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)