Sri Lankan government starts new food supply chain

Sri Lankan government starts new food supply chain

Farmers have struggled to sell their harvest amid a 24-hour lockdown in Sri Lanka in some districts, but its Civil Defense Force is now buying produce directly from farmers, and distributing it across the island, to help farmers who have been hard hit by measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Libby Hogan reports.

Bananas hacked off trees, washed, weighed and loaded to go to market But many farmers in Sri Lanka have had no where to sell it.

Under the 24-hour-lockdown in six districts of the country, markets have been closed, produce stranded and farmers without an income.

But the country's civil Defense Force has come to the rescue and is now buying goods direct from farmers, then distributing it across the island, to help households and shops hard hit by the lockdown.

Land Minister Chandrasena is overseeing the effort: MINISTER FOR LANDS, LAND DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT, S.M.

CHANDRASENA, SAYING: "The farmers got into difficulty because of the curfew imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

This is a solution to that and to protect our farmers." It's good news for the country's pumpkin growers too.

On Thursday, (April 16) trucks were seen queuing up in the street, farmers loading their produce into military and civilian trucks headed for the capital Colombo for low-income households.