Sri Lanka: Fruit and vegetable exports to top US $ 4,000 m

The value of vegetables and fruit exports will go up from the present Rs 3,000 million to Rs 4,000 million per annum by end 2012 . There is an increased demand for quality Sri Lankan fruits and vegetable products from Jordan, Oman, Lebanon, Bahrain, Maldives and Saudi Arabia. Sri Lankan fruits that are in demand are pineapples, passion fruit, red lady papaya, fresh dragon fruit, rambuttan, avocado among others. The major competitors in the global fruit and vegetable industry are Brazil, South Africa and Thailand. However quarantine barriers and unfavourable weather are the pressing challenges faced by the respective exporters.

“Priority must be given to increase the contribution of agricultural sector to the GDP at least up to 30-35% from the present 16% growth rate . To achieve the anticipated US $ 20 billion total export revenue mark by 2020, Sri Lanka would have to set up orchard cultivation which would definitely increase the productivity of the lands by producing high yield per acre. Solutions must be found to various issues such as non availability of sufficient high yielding planting materials and it is imperative to collaborating with technology research institutions in the world, particularly with the east,” Chamber of Exporters Immediate Past President Sarath de Silva said. The added value percentage of agricultural sector in Sri Lanka stands at 90 and garment and high end garments records eight and fifteen respectively.

This clearly shows the industry ability to contribute to the overall economy. “It is another positive point that Sri Lanka is proposed to be a rice exporting economy. This is a positive step in a changing global environment with global weather calamities. But, the Quarantine Dept and the Agriculture Ministry should facilitate the private sector, without imposing undue pressure, to import of suitable glutinous, long grained paddy seeds until we multiply it ourselves so that we could replace the Basmati and the Thai fragrant rice and introduce, to the world, a new brand called Lankamathi.

Affiliated to this should be the approval of soil enhancing and organic or balanced material, to achieve higher yields, so that the Northwest and Ampara districts which are considered rice bowls of Sri Lanka, will produce rice suitable and palatable to the whole world,” Silva said. Priority is given for self-sufficiency in food production and import substitution in green gram, ulundu, black gram, peanuts, sesame and maize, by increasing the cess on imports. The increase of cess on red chillie and curry powder, will encourage Sri Lanka to get into local production.

Source: dailynews.lk