Sri Lanka, April 11 -- An audit conducted by the National Audit Office in 2015, the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) disclosed that about 270,000 metric tons of vegetables and fruits are being wasted annually and as a result, the loss to the Sri Lankan economy is around Rs. 20 billion. This was mentioned at the COPA Committee chaired by Prof. Tissa Vitharana which was held at the Parliament Complex recently.

According to the report, the post-harvest damage upon the vegetables and fruits in Sri Lanka is estimated at 30-40 percent.

The report further reveals that about 73 percent of the adult population of the country does not consume adequate amounts of vegetables and fruits and that the malnutrition level of children under the age of...