Medicinal products have ready foreign market - Minister

Sri Lanka has immense potential to export indigenous medicinal products to the global market, said Minister of Agriculture, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. He was addressing the 10th ProFood ProPacks 2011 Exhibition at the BMICH on Friday. He said that there is an excess of agricultural products which could be exported with value addition to niche markets across the globe.

“Sri Lanka is blessed with medicinal resources which have a great demand abroad. Exports of quality products with attractive packaging will pay off well”, the Minister said.

The exhibition comprised a wide range of packaging and agricultural products which were not available at the previous exhibitions. The first ProFood ProPack exhibition was held in 2000 and since then there has been a tremendous response from the local and international buyers.

“Sri Lanka will focus on developing organic cultivation which has vast scope in the global market. India and many other countries in the region have commenced organic farming for exports”, Abeywardena said. This year’s exhibition included participants from Agri and Process Food Development Authority of India which hopes to build links for a bilateral trade.

Chairman, Agri and Processes Food Development Authority, India, Asith Sripathi said that the annual turnover from agri business in India is over $ 20b and added that there are ample opportunities for both the countries to explore trade ventures.

President, Sri Lanka Food Processors Association, Rohantha De Fonseka said there is a 100 percent growth in food processing business and added that the food processing sector would be a $ I b industry.

He said if exporters are to gain a premium price for their products they should export quality products with eye-catching packaging.

Chairman, Organising Committee ProFood ProPack Exhibition, Dhammika Gunasekera said that they hope to make the annual exhibition a regional event which would help attract a large number of international buyers to the country.

President, National Agribusiness Council, Asoka Gopallawa said that an agribusiness exhibition was held in the East in May and added that steps have been taken to hold more regional exhibitions in the future. LF