Agricultural exports increase

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

Agricultural exports have increased in 2010 compaired 2009 due to a big demand in the global market, said Export Agriculture Department Director General W.D.L.Gunaratne.

According to the statistics of the Export Agriculture Department, the export volume has increased by 46.88 percent and export value by 55 percent compaired to 2009 statistics.

The total export value of export agriculture crops in 2010 is Rs.23,775.4 million and the volume is 42754.5 metric tons, he said. Cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, coffee, pepper, cardamoms, citronella, nutmeg, maize, vanila, arecanut and betel were the major agriculture crops exported.

He also said that cinnamon was exported as cinnamon quills, leaf oil and bark oil.

Export value of cinnamon in 2010 was Rs. 9,210 million (volume 11,608 Mts). Export volume of pepper in 2010 was 12,219 MT and value was Rs. 4,825 million.

Export volume of clove in 2010 was 6,833 MT and the value was Rs. 4,085 million. Export volume of nutmeg in 2010 was 1,952 MT and valued at Rs. 1,358.7 million. Export volume of betel in 2010 was 2,254.4 MT and the value was Rs. 576.1 million.

Export Agriculture Department is conducting a number of development programs with to increase the export volume, productivity and the quality of export agriculture crops, the Director General said.

The Export Agriculture Department provided free planting materials and fertilizer to farmers and provides technical assistance to expand the extent of land and also provide financial assistance for identified lands.

They also encourage farmers to use machinery to increase the product quality and productivity to meet the demand for export agriculture crops in foreign markets he said.