Call to cut coconut prices as yields rise

Coconut Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Shanta Ranatunga urged traders to reduce retail prices of coconuts, citing a notable increase in yield.

Ranatunga said it was unjustifiable that coconuts were being sold to consumers at Rs. 180–190 each, while traders were buying them from plantations at nearly one-third the price — Rs. 70–80 per nut.

He accused certain unscrupulous middlemen of distorting the market to inflate prices artificially and warned that such manipulation was burdening the public unnecessarily.

“In response, the government stepped in by temporarily suspending coconut auctions and channelling stocks through Sathosa and cooperative outlets to stabilise the market,” Ranatunga said.

While he acknowledged that price regulation falls under the purview of the Consumer Affairs Authority, Ranatunga maintained that traders should act with fairness and ensure that prices reflect actual purchasing costs.

He added that ensuring reasonable pricing was vital at a time when essential goods affordability remained a major public concern.