Sri Lanka, June 25 -- Demand for vegetables has declined significantly due to a drop in consumers' purchasing power, defying the usual economic principle of demand, according to traders at the Manning Market in Peliyagoda.

"People's cash flow has decreased, and as a result, they are buying fewer vegetables. This is why prices have gone down. Typically, prices fall when there is an oversupply, but what we're witnessing now is different. Prices are dropping even though vegetables are an essential item," said S. M. Upasena, former President of the Manning Market Traders' Association, speaking to the Daily Mirror.

As of yesterday, the prices of common vegetables were as follows: tomatoes at Rs. 200 per kilogram, green chilies at Rs. 500, le...