North America Edition
Late last week, Sri Lankan Customs officials found 16 tons kilograms of beetroot concealed inside two refrigerated freight containers in Colombo. The stock of beetroot was imported to Sri Lanka illegally from Pakistan under the guise of importing potatoes.
A Customs spokesperson said the find was made at the Customs Yard in Colombo and the stock was seized for further investigations. Importers had declared to Sri Lanka Customs that the cargo comprised 53,000 kilograms of potatoes, however, upon inspection only around 44,000 kilograms of potatoes were discovered.
Recently, traders from Colombo alleged that imported beetroot was flooding the local markets at a time when authorities have not granted permission to import beetroot to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s Plant Quarantine Service has only granted permission to Sri Lankan Catering to import fresh vegetables, and not to any other establishment.
Source: newsfirst.lk
