Govt to control food prices in Ramadan

The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare has assured that the prices of staple food items will not rise during Ramadan.

Every year, the prices of food items rise sharply during the month of Ramadan. Last year, the market was bustling during Ramadan, but overall prices were higher than other times.

Speaking on PSM's Raajje Miadhu programme, Minister of State for Agriculture and Animal Welfare Hussain Ismail said the government's 'Week 14' roadmap or 100-day pledges has made it an obligation of the ministry to find ways to control food prices.

"Hopefully, we will start the work this week in collaboration with the relevant agencies. We are confident that unlike other years, this year's Ramadan will be [especially] with controlled prices of locally produced goods," Hussain said.

Hussain said it would be done by starting work early and identifying the amount of food items needed for the month of Ramadan.

"We're looking at the numbers we need. We're looking at how much we can put on the market and how much we need to pump more. We'll control the market prices," he said.

According to Hussain:

According to the calendar, Ramadan begins on March 11.