In rural areas, mill shops, which process rice and other grains into flour, are emerging as key food vendors, particularly in communities where access to larger retail outlets is limited, says findings of a new research by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), University of Peradeniya, and Johns Hopkins University.

The study perused on data collected on food environment in 45 Grama Niladahari Divisions across five Districts of rural Sri Lanka, from December 2020 to March 2024, says that while supermarkets, cafes, and juice bars are common in urban areas, mill shops stand out as one of the few food sources available in rural settings, offering locally processed flour on a consumer retail basis.

Mill shops are primarily concentrated in rural areas, where they serve not only as wholesale distributors of grain products but also provide essential retail services to consumers. These shops, which often cater to smaller, local needs, are an important lifeline for rural communities, where larger supermarkets and chain stores are either sparse or entirely absent.

The study also revealed significant differences in food vendor availability between urban, rural, and estate areas, with implications for consumer behaviour. Urban consumers have access to a wide variety of food vendors, including supermarkets, mini-markets, and cafes, reflecting broader trends in food consumption that favour dining out and purchasing ready-to-eat meals. On the other hand, rural areas, particularly those far from urban centres, rely more heavily on local vendors, such as mill shops, which are integral to daily food procurement.

Mill shops are a crucial resource in rural communities. While urban residents may have more options for convenience food, rural populations often depend on these smaller-scale operations for staples like flour, rice, and other basic ingredients.

In contrast to urban areas, where food consumption patterns tend to be more varied and centred around convenience, rural consumers often prioritize staple items for home cooking. The limited availability of specialized food vendors, such as cafes and juice bars, in these areas means that meals are largely prepared at home, often from locally sourced ingredients.

The study also examined the impact of vendor typology on food consumption in estate areas, where the picture is markedly different. Estate communities, typically located in more remote regions, experience even greater challenges in accessing diverse food sources. The high cost of food in local shops and the limited variety available has led many estate residents to travel outside their communities to nearby towns or urban centres, such as Nuwara Eliya and Kotapola, in search of affordable and varied food options.

The estate sector faces a unique challenge because of the high cost of local food and limited options, people are often forced to leave their communities to access more affordable and diverse food offerings in nearby towns.