Panic buying of salt fizzles out after trade assures ample buffer stocks available

by Suresh Perera

The virtual run on salt in the marketplace has fizzled out with the trade assuring the public that sufficient buffer stocks of the essential commodity were available.

“There was panic buying of salt following fears that debris from the X-Press Pearl cargo vessel had contaminated salterns”, trade officials said.

However, with the air being cleared, consumers are no longer demanding extra packs of salt, they said.

A supermarket official said there is enough and more salt on the shelves with stocks being replenished as there’s an uninterrupted supply of essential foodstuffs despite the Covid-19 travel restrictions.

An industry official said that there are buffer stocks of salt to cater to the consumer demand for the next one and a half years.

“None of the salterns in Hambantota, Puttalam and Jaffna have been affected by debris from the fire-stricken feeder vessel”, he said.

Consumers should not be misled by rumours, he added.