New thinking resulted in export sector growth - Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris

The only solution to check the price hike of our imports in the world market is to increase exports from Sri Lanka both in quantity and quality. In this respect it's heartening to note an increase of 15 per cent in this sector, said Minister of Export Development and International Trade, Prof. G. L. Peiris.

He also said this remarkable increase was mainly due to the expansion of the traditional export base into new spheres such as gem and jewellery, vegetable, fruits, horticultural products and foliage leaves and also through the addition of value to export items.

The Minister was speaking at a meeting at the Nachchaduwa Irrigation Office at Anuradhapura where a project was initiated to grow foliage plants for exporting.

It was sponsored by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board in collaboration with the Greennet (Pvt) Ltd. The project has been assisted by the Wari Pubuduwa programme of the Ministry of Irrigation and Nachchaduwa Divisional Secretariat.

Prof. Peiris said the time had come for Sri Lankans to break with the past traditional practices without harming our age-old values and take a new look at the world and the fast pace of developments that are taking place everywhere. This kind of attitude is extremely necessary in the sphere of business and the expansion of exports.

Specially in the field of agriculture and industry, it has become essential to infuse new break-through technology as done in other developed as well as developing countries.

Speaking about the project to export foliage leaves he said that several Government organisations had worked together with private sector establishments to bring about the present outcome.

A proper study was undertaken in the area before Nachchaduwa was selected as the site for this project and he reiterated that a single person or organisation working alone would have been severely handicapped in bringing such a trail-blazing project into fruition.

Initial results had been very encouraging and it's estimated that one farmer would receive an estimated yearly income of Rs. 600,000 from a quarter acre of land. Even the impediments to such projects, such as the lack of capital have been identified and relief measures too have been taken.

The Wayamba Development Bank had now undertaken to attend to the capital requirements while Lankaputra Bank too is eager to assist.