Fruit and vegetable exports to top US $ 4,000 m
Indunil HEWAGE
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.
High demand for Lankan fruits and vegetables. |
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.
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