Sri Lanka, April 9 -- Colombo, April 9 () - The Trade, Commerce, and Food Security Ministry is to issue price ranges on essential items to curb excessive profits by middlemen in the retail market.

After a meeting held at the ministry, Minister Nalin Fernando said that the increase in commodity prices was a result of the economic crisis and inflation.

In 2022, Sri Lanka faced the challenge of being one of the countries with the highest commodity prices globally, primarily due to soaring inflation.

"In 2019, a kilogram of wheat flour was priced at Rs. 85. By 2022, this price had escalated to Rs. 485, leading to a loaf of bread being sold for approximately Rs. 195 to Rs. 200.

Similarly, in 2019, a kilogram of dhal was sold for around Rs....