Sri Lanka is facing a critical shortage of maize, forcing producers to buy raw materials at sharply higher prices and rely heavily on imports, the All Ceylon Egg Producers Association (ACEPA) warned yesterday (24). 

The shortage is also expected to affect the production of Thriposha, the State’s long-running nutritional supplement distributed to mothers and children.

The ACEPA Secretary Ratnasiri Alahakoon told The Daily Morning that the country requires 650,000 metric tonnes (MT) of maize annually, but that local cultivation amounts to only 250,000-300,000 MT. “This amount is grossly inadequate to meet the national requirement,” he said.

Due to the shortfall, producers are compelled to purchase maize at Rs. 180 to Rs. 190 per kilogram for animal feed manufacturing — a cost Alahakoon described as unsustainable for the poultry sector. The remaining requirement must be met through imports.

He also noted that the issue has not been extensively discussed with the Agriculture Ministry, despite its wide-reaching implications. “Maize is essential not only for animal feed but also for producing Thriposha. Any shortage will affect both the livestock industry and the country’s nutritional support programmes,” Alahakoon warned.

He warned that if the maize deficit continues, the rising cost of feed could trigger increases in egg, poultry, and livestock prices, placing additional pressure on consumers.