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| Sunday, 23 October 2005 |
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Big demand for flora and foliage exports by L. S. A. Wedaarachchi There is a big demand for Sri Lankan Tropical Flora and Foliage in the export market. The world famous Amsterdam tropical flora and foliage market imports foliage worth US $ seven million from various countries annually. Sri Lanka supplies only point seven percent of the annual demand of the Amsterdam market. This was revealed at a workshop at Gampaha recently where flora and foliage growers were encouraged to increase exports as entrepreneurs. It was organised by the Industrial Development Authority (WP) in association with the Ceylinco Foliage Export Company. Explaining the export market opportunities for flora and foliage, General Manager of Ceylinco Foliage export company Chandana Jayawardana said that the greatest problem which they face at present is to ascertain the requisite quantity and quality to meet the market demand. Apart from the Netherlands and European countries Japan and Korea are also sound markets for flora and foliage. But they are not agreeable even to discuss matters, if we are not in a position to supply the required quantity, he said. According to the General Manager of Ceylinco foliage Export Company, Ceylinco exported flora and foliage worth Rs. 20 million last year and expects to increase it by 50 percent this year. Ceylinco started the growing of flora and foliage and export business two years ago in the Kurunegala district and later set up the Bamunugedera village as an export village with the participation of twenty families in the project. At present Ceylinco operates three flora and foliage farms at Katana, Makadura and Badalgama and two export villages. Three varieties of foliage namely net house varieties such as Sandriyana, Cane Farm Folios, stems of various plants and flowers such as Orchid and Anthurium are being exported by Ceylinco. They have their own centres in Dubai and Tokyo. The Flora and Foliage growing business can be started with a twenty perch plot of land or in home gardens. Thirty-five thousand net house plants such as Sandriyana can be grown in a forty perch plot of land investing two hundred thousand rupees, and the investment can be recovered within eight months according to the GM of the CFE company. Ceylinco is willing to supply seeds, plants and technical advice to growers and to buy back the products from the growers. The organiser of the workshop Industrial Development Authority (IDA) has already signed a MoU with the Ceylinco Foliage Export Company to supply the technical knowledge to the flora and foliage growers and to buy all the products from the growers. Wasanta Jayasinghe, Chairman, IDA-WP hopes to set up tripartite companies
with the active participation of growers, Ceylinco and IDA for the flora and
foliage growers for the benefit of the sector in the near future. |
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