Sri Lanka food inflation hits record 25pc

Food inflation in crisis-hit Sri Lanka hit a record 25 per cent in January, the statistics office said Tuesday, with crop failures and difficulties in financing imports leading to widespread shortages.

The island nation's economy has tanked since the onset of the pandemic, with the collapse in tourism revenue leaving traders unable to finance purchases of essential goods from abroad.

The government last year banned the import of agricultural chemicals in a desperate attempt to shore up foreign currency reserves, drastically lowering crop yields and prompting many farmers to leave their fields bare.

Supermarkets have rationed rice, lentils and other essentials, while power companies unable to pay for imported fuel have been forced to impose rolling blackouts.