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| Sunday, 09 March 2003 |
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Packaging adds value to exports by Elmo Leonard Sri Lanka is making a concentrated effort to boost its agro product exports in value-added form. A multi-pronged strategy has been adopted for this; one measure being an alliance formed by the Sri Lanka Food Processors Association (SLFPA) and the Sri Lanka Packaging Institute (SLPI). Appropriate packaging is necessary to export food products such as tea, fruits or canned products, and every other packagable food product, the SLFPA and SLPI said at a media conference. In another move in this direction, the SLFPA entered a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion. Secretary to the Ministry, Ranjit Fernando, who signed the agreement on behalf of the Ministry, assured that while the Ministry would play a part in the speedy facilitation of all trade activities concerned with food and packaging, it would not be involved in tangible commercial operations. The move comes at a time when the Government has extended investment incentives to the agro-based and other important industries. An objective of the MoU is to make the agro and packaging industries competitive in the international arena. The development of the agro industry would bear socio-economic implications, for the rural producer benefits in the chain of marketing, from producer to industrialist and exporter. Sri Lanka should take a leaf out of Singapore and Hong Kong, two of the world's smallest countries, which do not have agriculture-based economies, SLFPA member Laksiri Wickremage told the media. The main reasons for their success are their central locations, and their ability to bring in and send out products with minimum interference. Sri Lanka, which is strategically located within South Asia could play a similar role in marketing products within the Indian subcontinent, exploiting the fierce rivalry between two SAARC nations, the media was told. Sri Lanka could also purchase food products in many other countries and market it in South Asia and other Asian nations. Sri Lanka currently holds the presidency of BIMST-EC, an economic bloc also comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Thailand. One of the BIMST-EC projections is collaboration in several areas, including the processed food sector. In another move to export Sri Lanka's agro products, the SLPI has teamed up with the SLFPA to hold an exhibition of food products and packaging materials, termed Pro Food Packs 2003. The exhibition will be held from August 8 to 10 at the BMICH Convention Centre, Colombo. It would be the largest food and packaging exhibition to be held todate in the South Asian region, and would have BIMST-EC nations displaying packaged food products. The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Enterprise Development, local trade chambers and their affiliates overseas are promoting the exhibition. Pro Food Packs will coincide with the Asian Packaging Federation (APF) Annual Congress, which will be held in Colombo. Sri Lanka will hold the APF presidency till 2005. The current Treasurer of the APF, which comprises 14 member nations in the Asia Pacific region, is also a Sri Lankan. Thus, the APF Secretariat operates from Colombo. APF comprises Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. This will be the third APF Congress to be held in Sri Lanka. While the previous two events drew around 300 participants, more foreigners are expected this year, former SLPI Chairman, Mansoor Ghouse said. The theme of this year's APF Congress is 'Food Packaging - Emerging Trends.' Local and international packaging industrialists will make presentations on subjects such as developing indigenous material for food packaging; non-refrigerated food packaging; the role of packaging in food safety and cost-effective food packaging. Also on the cards is the biennial Lanka Star and Asia Star contests, where excellence in packaging is rewarded. Vying for Lanka Stars would be local packaging companies. Aspiring for Asia Stars would be companies from the 14 countries including Sri Lanka, who have won their national star contests. In the past, many Sri Lanka Star winners have gone on to win Asia Star and World Star contests. Star winners could use information on their achievements on their packages, and obtain premium prices for their products sold internationally. |
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