Colombo, Nov. 2 -- Lanka Sathosa has clarified that it does not measure the size of big onions when purchasing them from farmers through its collection centres.

According to Head of the Quality Assurance Division, Lahiru Samanga, officials rely on visual inspection during the buying process and do not take round measurements of the onions.

The state-run retailer recently began purchasing big onions directly from farmers to help them overcome difficulties in selling their produce. The procurement programme, however, included 17 conditions - one of which specified that onion bulbs should be between 35mm and 65mm in diameter, with around eight bulbs per kilogram.

This led to objections from some farmers who claimed their harvests did not ...