May 13, Colombo: Around 30 to 40 percent of Sri Lanka's vegetable harvest is wasted annually, say figures from the Post Harvest Technology Institute of Anuradhapura.

The amount of vegetables wasted annually amounts to 165,000 to 200,000 metric tons. Sri Lanka produces around 500,000 metric tons of vegetables annually.

Vegetable consumption by Sri Lankans is as low as 100 grams per head per day, and the Post Harvest Technology Institute says the nutritional status of the people can be increased if the wastage is managed.

The Institute attempts to promote the use of plastic boxes instead of the popular poly sacks to transport vegetables so as to minimize post-harvest wastage.