COLOMBO, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan Cabinet decided to lift the ban on the import of black gram to address the shortage in the local market, the government's information department said on Tuesday.
The department said Sri Lanka's annual requirement for black gram is around 20,000 metric tons. The shortage typically occurs during the festive seasons of April and December, as the harvest supply is limited to a specific period.
Therefore, measures should be taken to prevent the shortage of black gram in the market during the upcoming festival season and to control the increase in the price, the department said.
It said black gram would be imported only through the State Trading (General) Corporation, the National Food Promotion Board and the Hadabima Authority of Sri Lanka. ■
