Export Agriculture Department:

Over 50,000 Mt to be exported in 2011

P P G Sugathadasa- Thihagoda Group Correspondent

Export Agriculture Department (EAD) will export over 50,000 metric tons of export agriculture crops and will earn over Rs 30,000 million this year, Export Agriculture Department Director General W D L Gunarathne said.

In 2010, the department exported 43,000 metric tons of export agriculture crops and earned over Rs 24,000 million.

In 2009, 27,000 metric tons were exported and an income of Rs 18,000 million was collected, he added. According to Gunarathne cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, coffee, vanila, citronella, cardamom, cocoa, areca, clove, betel and several others are included in the export agriculture crop category. These crops are successfully cultivated in 14 districts in the country.

Cinnamon is cultivated in the southern region and in areas such as Kalutara, Ratnapura and Badulla districts while pepper, cocoa, clove, cardamom and nutmeg are grown in areas such as Matale, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala and Moneragala districts.

New cultivation, re-cultivation, products promotion and production of high quality crops are included in crop promotion and diversification schemes initiated by the Department, Gunarathne said.

Cultivators are provided with technical know-how to boost their production, he added.