'Food preservation, a timely remedy'

Hiran H. Senewiratne

Past President Sri Lanka Food Processing Association (SLFPA) and National Agribusiness Council (NAC) Mario De Alwis emphasized the importance of a national strategy for agriculture to address the potential food crisis medium to short term basis.

"Sri Lanka agriculture sector should move into traditional base to knowledge base to become globally competitive. Because most of the major products are manufactured by agricultural countries and branded by developed countries like USA," De Alwis told at the launch of the Pro Foods and Pro Packs 2008 exhibition is scheduled to have August 22 to 24 at BMICH.

The event will be organised by SLFPA and Sri Lanka Institute of Packaging (SLIP) together with Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services (Pvt) Limited.

He was giving the key note address and said that Sri Lanka has all the resources to be globally competitive in the agriculture as our local farmers are aware to a limited stance, packaging sector is quite developed and the important thing is the fertilized soil.

All the stakeholders in the agriculture sector should work out a national strategy to improve the local agriculture sector. With the national strategy it is equally important to have a food safety and security method, he said.

De Alwis said that we are now recording a 40 per cent post harvest lost in agricultural products due to the poor packaging and transportation is in the midst of increasing demand for food at an alarming pace in the world. "If we have a national agriculture policy we would inject modern technology, introduce new types of seeds, higher product yields in the local agricultural sector, he said.

He said the opportunities and the possibilities within this gloomy environment for Sri Lanka are unbelievable. For a country with a net excess of renewable water resources, good arable land and a knowledgeable farming community with a proud history of the agriculture sector, he said.

President of the NAC Sarath de Silva said that agricultural sector is an important business. Therefore food production drive and safety is an important at this juncture. The private sector could play a very big role in certain potential areas like livestock sector; poultry sectors, to do a lot to be globally competitive in those sectors.