The Essential Food Importers’ Association says the prices of imported potatoes, dried chillies and big onions have increased.

The association’s President, S. Vinayag Sundaram, said the decision to suspend the importation of dried chillies from India had contributed to the price increase.Customs Spokesperson Chandan Punchihewa recently stated that more than 100 containers of imported dried chillies had been detained by Sri Lanka Customs on the grounds that they did not meet the required standards.

He further stated that the containers, which had been rejected by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution and food inspectors for failing to meet the required standards, would not be released to the local market.Arrangements were being made to re-export them.The President of the Essential Food Importers’ Association said that, in response to the situation, trade associations in India had stopped exporting dried chillies to Sri Lanka.As a result, the price of dried chillies in the local market has risen to Rs. 1,300 per kilogram.

Meanwhile, the association’s President added that prices of imported potatoes and big onions had also increased by around 10 per cent due to the prevailing El Niño conditions.