Ministers urge enhancing export products
Sri Lanka Export Development Board under the Ministry of Export
Development and International Trade had organized a Press Conference on
the second Regional Expo Exhibition which is to be held at Polonnnaruwa
from March 7 - 9 under the patronage of Export Development and
International Trade Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris and Minister of
Agriculture Development Maithripala Sirisena.
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Ministers inaugurating the web portal. EDB Chairman Anil
Koswatta, Ministry officials and EDB officials look on. Harsha
Pathberiya, Deputy Director is at extreme left. |
The objective of the exhibition has been to enhance the export
benefits to the rural communities, and to bring together leading
exporters to meet and understudy the supply base by the SMEs in the
regions.
The "One village - One Export" concept shall hold ground in launching
such exhibitions commencing from Hambantota, Polonnaruwa and Badulla on
district basis. This effort is in keeping with the Mahinda Chintanaya
for rural development and upliftment of the living standards of the
rural communities. The climax of this campaign is for an International
Expo event proposed to be held in Colombo at the end of the year.
Minister Peiris, addressing the press conference said that along with
the commencement of the Export Production Village (EPV) concept the only
focus for export promotion was linked to industrial product development.
Since we are in an agricultural economy and mainly depending on
agriculture the need for State patronage for agri based sector has been
identified.
When there is a depression of the world economy specially in the
West, we have been able to sustain our economic strength due to proper
management of our priorities.
With the old message of export or perish, we have to export our
products to earn foreign exchange. Our vegetable and fruits are exported
to the Maldives, where there is a developed tourist industry.
There is an equal demand for fruits in the Middle East. Our task
should be to add value to our products. These exhibitions will pave the
way for a dialogue between the village producer and the exporter.
We cannot allow the production to go waste but we have to have a
solution to make use of the extra production to save the cultivator. We
have allocated Rs. 10 million for breeding inland fisheries. We had a
similar system for coir based products in the coconut triangle.
Indian investors are here since they have placed confidence. With the
end of the conflict the entire soil would be once again available for
development. We are at the threshold of this investment.
Minister Sirisena said that it is time that we change our export
priorities. The year 2008 was a record year for agricultural production
according to the Central Bank reports with a 13% increase. |
