Mannar police seized more than 700 kilograms of turmeric yesterday evening and destroyed it by setting fire to the stock.
It was alleged that the turmeric had been "illegally smuggled" into Sri Lanka from India through the seas.
Mannar police have been destroying alleged contraband turmeric being brought into the territory under their jurisdiction for the past month.
In the latest operation, they confiscated 28 burlap sacks containing 777 kilograms of dried turmeric and burned it, due to the requirements of health and safety restrictions. The incineration took place in the forest area of Tharapuram, between Mannar and Talaimannar.
This follows the recent imposition of an import ban as part of a series of measures related to the coronavirus pandemic in an attempt to strengthen Sri Lanka's economy by promoting domestic production. However, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's blanket ban on the import of spices instead created a turmeric shortage and a growing black market.
Sri Lanka produces only 2,000 tonnes of turmeric a year against a domestic demand of 7,000 tonnes. The demand-supply gap has driven the price of a single kg of turmeric to 4,000 to 5,000 LKR from 325 LKR.
Recently, Mannar locals complained against the hike in Turmeric powder prices, a vital ingredient in Tamil and Sinhalese cooking, after the introduction of the import bans.
In November, the European Union also aired concerns about Sri Lanka’s import ban, highlighting the controversy of the “unfair” ban, which prevents the outflow of foreign exchange, whilst Sri Lanka aims to become a “regional trading hub.”
