Rising prices spark struggle to feed children-by Buwanaka S. Perera

The economic crisis of 2022 marked the most severe downturn Sri Lanka experienced since gaining independence. It ushered in widespread price hikes across various essentials, including vital medicines, school supplies, fuel and a slew of taxes. With food inflation skyrocketing to an unprecedented 95%, the crisis profoundly impacted food prices and the nation’s food security.

The policy banning chemical fertilisers, imposed by the ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, exacerbated the agricultural sector’s woes, leading to consecutive harvest failures with yields plummeting by over 50%, further undermining Sri Lanka’s food security.

As access to food dwindled, foreign reserves depleted and the government defaulted on foreign debts, many ordinary Sri Lankans struggled to secure three meals a day, with children bearing the brunt of the crisis.

Has the situation changed in 2024?

According to a recent report by the World Food Program (WFP), released in January 2024, it is estimated that more than 17% of Sri Lankan households are food insecure. Furthermore, 31% of children, under the age of five in Sri Lanka are malnourished and another 20% suffer from wasting. The prevalence of poor nutrition, particularly in low-income marginalised communities, such as tea estate workers, has driven up the nation’s adult malnutrition rates, with underweight adult women being 3.4 times higher than in urban areas.

Recent price hikes in basic vegetables like carrots and beans have exacerbated the accessibility to essential nutrients. With tea estate workers earning a meagre daily wage of Rs 1,000 (USD 3.25) for plucking around 18kg of tea leaves, affording basic necessities like beans, priced at around Rs 800 per kilo, is nearly impossible.

Despite the soaring prices, the importance of including sufficient vegetables, proteins, and carbohydrates in the diet cannot be overstated. Nutritionists emphasise that for a balanced diet, half of the plate should comprise vegetables, a quarter should be proteins and the remaining quarter should consist of carbohydrates.

However, with the exorbitant cost of vegetables and proteins, particularly fish and basic vegetables like beans and carrots, achieving a balanced diet in the current economic climate poses a significant challenge. According to the Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) for January 2024, the prices of many vegetables have more than doubled and even tripled, compared to previous years. For instance, tomatoes that were sold at Rs 269.58 in January 2023 were priced at Rs 660.87 in January 2024, while carrots had surged from Rs 353.80 to Rs 1,014.35 during the same period.

Considering these prices, the monthly average open-market retail prices of selected items from the Colombo Consumer Price Index for January 2024 indicate that a model basket of food necessary for a balanced diet for a family of four would cost a staggering Rs 56,514.81.

As prices continue to rise, many lament that their salaries have remained stagnant. Ceylon Today interviewed members of the public to gauge the accessibility of nutritional food in Sri Lanka.

Hunger and Health

Kumudini (39), a mother of three, shares her struggle: “What nutrients? The fact that I can manage to feed my children without them going hungry is a miracle.” She explains how economic constraints have limited her choices, forcing her to provide only one vegetable curry with a piece of dry fish or sprats instead of the usual spread of rice with two vegetable curries, a mallung, and a meat or fish curry. “On Sundays, we used to indulge in fried rice or biryani from outside. Now, my husband brings home 500g of chicken, and that’s our Sunday treat,” she adds. Kumudini reveals that she even sells the greens meant for her family’s meals to earn extra income, underscoring the dire economic circumstances.

Exclusive Fruits

Jayantha (45) highlights the luxury status of fruits: “If I buy fruits, my family will have to settle for plain steamed rice. The government should intervene, provide subsidies and ensure accessibility to these essentials, instead of increasing the salaries of high-ranking officials.” He expresses bewilderment at the exorbitant prices of tropical produce like bananas and mangoes in a country blessed with a tropical climate.

Prominent nutritionist Tormali Francis emphasises that Sri Lanka’s carbohydrate-rich diet, coupled with the current inaccessibility to nutritional food in the market, poses challenges in enforcing a balanced diet. She suggests exploring indigenous fruits and vegetables, rich in proteins and other nutrients, as alternatives to mitigate the crisis. Criticising the State’s inadequate efforts to ensure access to vital nutrients, Tormali calls for sustained initiatives to address malnutrition and wasting.

While some economists say that the economic crisis of 2022 seems to be slowly subduing, the long-term impacts of the malnutrition, wasting and stunting of children is yet to be seen. Experts say that if these concerns are not addressed immediately, the ripple effects of the economic crisis would be evident in the DNA of Sri Lankans.