Export agriculture to meet future demand
Ishara Mudugamuwa
The Export Agriculture Department is conducting a number of
development programmes to increase the export volume, productivity and
the quality of export agriculture crops with the objective of meeting
future demand, Acting Director General of the export Agriculture
Department R. S. Kularatna said.
According to him the department conducts researches to develop export
agriculture crops. The department has also taken measures to establish
district agricultural export promotion units to promote them among
farmers.
The Department also provides technical assistance to farmers through
island-wide agrarian services centres. “The department also encourages
farmers to use machinery to increase the product quality and
productivity to meet the demand for export agriculture crops in foreign
markets.” he said.
According to the statistics of the Department agricultural exports
have increased in 2011 and first five months of 2012 compared to thqat
of previous years. Cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, coffee, pepper, cardamoms,
citronella, nutmeg, mace, vanila, arecanut and betel are major export
agricultural crops.
The export volume of cinnamon in 2011 was 13,515.7 metric tons and
value was Rs.13,378.6 million.
About 4069.3 metric tons of cinnamon were exported in first five
months of 2012 and value was 4578.8 million rupees.
Cinnamon is exported as cinnamon quills, leaf oil and bark oil.
Export volume of pepper in 2011 was 5056.6 MT and value was Rs. 3391.4
million. Export volume of clove in 2011 was 3570.5MT and the value was
Rs.3676.3 million. Export volume of nutmeg in 2011 was 1699.0MT and
valued at Rs. 2069.9 million. Export volume of betel has increased in
2011 compared to 2010. The export volume of betel in 2011 was 2845MT and
in 2011 was 2,254.4MT.
Total volume of agricultural exports in first five months of 2012 is
about 10,000 metric tons and valued at Rs. 9,000 million. |