Focus on local recipes and beverages:

National food festival from April 8

BY IRANGIKA Range

THE Ministry of Small and Rural Industries will organise the "National Food Festival" from April 8 to 10 at the Viharamahadevi Park in a bid to introduce local food and beverage products for national and international markets.

Veteran Chef T. Publis Silva, who is also the Director Culinary Affairs and Promotions at the Mount Lavinia Hotel will conduct programs on preparing national food and beverages at the festival using local resources.

He will also organise workshops for small and rural food and beverage manufacturers on how to maintain proper food processing best packaging and storage procedure in their manufacturing process.

Speaking at the press conference yesterday in Colombo, the Deputy Minister Sunil Hadunnetti said that the aim of the program is to develop our national food and beverage by providing market facilities under state sponsorship.

Local food and beverage manufacturers will sell their food and beverage products at 79 of trade stalls in the festival," the Deputy Minister said. There will be 40 trade stalls for handicraft products and 12 trade stalls for textile products targeting the New Year Season.

"Our main target is to create a new consumer culture which recognises and gives due respect for locally manufactured products.

The Ministry will promote villagers' products by considering them as major players in the country's economy.

It will also educate small and rural industrialists with the assistance of Industrial Development Board on how to maintain good quality and high standards on their production targeting the export market," Hadunnetti said.

Chef Publis Silva said although Sri Lanka was famous for its national food and beverages, society has ignored it during the past few years.

"We request hoteliers to use many local food and beverage recipes targeting to promote it among tourists. The Ministry has also planned to introduce new local food and beverage recipes to develop the local food and beverage industry next year.