Emerging food standards causing concerns for Sri Lankan tea industry

The Island - 01/03/2015 
By Janaka Wijayasiri

Over the last two decades, there has been a tightening of public standards, a shift from product standards to process standards, an increase in theimportance of private standards and a widening scope of standards. These developments haveraised concerns amongst developing countries, as standards can become non-tariff measures with falling tariffs. Failure to comply with standards could potentially result in loss of international market, a decrease in employment and a decline of an industry. However, compliance offers the possibility of enhancing international competitiveness and encourages the advancement of an industry.

Sri Lanka's tea industry, which is predominately export oriented, is increasingly governed by strict and complex standards. Thisreflects the evolving trends in the standards environment globally.

EDB unveils srilanka servicexport.com Service-exporters urged to join, reap benefits

The Island - 22/02/2015

As Sri Lanka's top service exports -ICT- started moving towards crucial US dollar one billion mark this year, the country's apex exports body EDB announced a major initiative on 17 February to further diversify exports beyond merchandises and to move for service exports.

"srilankaservicexport.com is the first, specialised web portal for all our service exporters and a one stop for them to link with international partners. This portal is absolutely free for exporters" said Saman Maldeni (Director, Export Services of SLEDB) on 17 February in Colombo.

Sri Lankan Pineapple- Best in The World

By Quintus Perera

Twenty-five years of hard work by the Sri Lanka Fruit and Vegetable Producers, Processors and Exporters Association (FVPPEA) has enabled it to establish a name for Sri Lanka in the world as a resource for quality vegetable and fruits.

Annual turnover of vegetable and fruit exports stands at Rs 300 million. The association wants its members to double exports by requesting its membership to spread out to the vegetable and fruit growing areas in the provinces, instead of only working in the metropolis.

Japan, Sri Lanka discuss possible trade agreement

Daily FT - 19/02/2015

Japan has given the green light for the first-ever prospective trade agreement coveted by Sri Lanka, inspired by the new resurgence under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. “We’d like to particularly stress the Memorandum of Cooperation on the Vitalisation of Intergovernmental Economic Policy Dialogue (MoU-VIGEPD). In my discussions with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on this, he agreed to proceed with VIGEPD. I am calling Tokyo to verify when we can start the VIGEPD dialogue with Sri Lanka,” Japan’s Ambassador Nobuhito Hobo has told Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Baithudeen .

Growth prospects in the food processing industry in Sri Lanka

Daily FT - 18/02/2015

The food processing industry in Sri Lanka is one of the emerging and lucrative industries in terms of production, consumption, export and growth prospects

Food processing sector is indispensable for overall development of an economy as it provides a vital linkage and synergy between the agriculture and industry. It helps to diversify and commercialise farming; enhance income of farmers; create markets for export of agro foods as well as generate greater employment opportunities. Through the presence of such industries, a wider range of food products could be sold and distributed to the distant locations.

The term ‘food processing’ is mainly defined as a process of value addition to the agricultural or horticultural produce by various methods like grading, sorting and packaging. In other words, it is a technique of manufacturing and preserving food substances in an effective manner with a view to enhance their shelf life; improve quality as well as make them functionally more useful. It covers spectrum of products from sub-sectors comprising agriculture, horticulture, plantation, animal husbandry and fisheries.

Larger presence of Sri Lankan Exporters at Gulfood 2015 in Dubai

news.lk - 18/02/2015

50 Sri Lankans Companies participated at the Gulfood 2015 in Dubai from 8 – 12 February 2015 displaying food and beverage products such as tea, spices, processed food, soft drinks, biscuits, virgin coconut oil, dried fruit, herbal products etc.  The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) under the Ministry of Industry & Commerce and the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) in collaboration with the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai organized two country pavilions for tea and other food items.  Gulf Food is the fastest growing international trade fair for the food and beverage sector and the biggest in the MENA region.

The five day exhibition attracted 4800 companies from across the world, including Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, the UK, the United States, France and Germany among other countries.

SL merchandise exports up 6.7% to US$ 11bn in 2014

The Island - 15/02/2015

Coconut product exports had a decline of eight percent to 40 million dollars while natural rubber declined by 36 percent to 46 million dollars.

Sri Lanka's annual provisional merchandise exports increased by 6.67 percent to 11.079 billion rupees, Export Development board of Sri Lanka (EDB) said in a statement.

These provisional numbers do not yet reflect the service exports values and therefore, actual exports values are expected to be much higher.