National Organic Agriculture Policy soon | Daily News

National Organic Agriculture Policy soon

Jeevani Siriwardena speaks at the event. Picture by Chaminda Niroshana
Jeevani Siriwardena speaks at the event. Picture by Chaminda Niroshana

Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) will make recommendations to the Department of Agriculture for preparation of National Organic Agriculture Policy in a bid to develop organic agriculture sector in Sri Lanka.

As part of EDB’s dedicated programs for the development of organic agriculture sector during the year

2019, EDB will also help prepare organic regulations for Sri Lankan organic sector and to create a national data base on organic agriculture sector to identify farmers involved in this sector, existing and new processing methods and etc.

The database will be complied by the EDB in 2019 and EDB will also prepare an organic research institutional data base in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Export Agriculture, Universities and research agencies.

“There are many research institutions in Sri Lanka; however, we haven’t been able to put them together with the department of Agriculture and the Department of Export of Agriculture. On the other hand, the world is demanding more and more organic agriculture products and Sri Lanka is quite capable of supplying and growing these products,” Jeevani Siriwardena, Director General of EDB told at a media networking session held at the EDB Auditorium recently.

“We will also help growers to obtain certifications to ensure that credible organic products are manufactured by the farmers.”

“We have a unit within the Agriculture Division of EDB and will be working towards on these activities. In addition, a program to develop value added mushroom products will also be carried out,” Siriwardena said.

In addition, workshops will be conducted to disseminate information on new technology for ornamental fish industry in collaboration with the National Aqua Culture Development Authority and The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency. Also, EDB will be carrying out a B2B product linkup program and workshop on live plants, cut foliage at provincial level.

“There are many small growers who like to grow plants. On the other hand, there is a demand for light plants and cut foliage in the world market,” she said.

EDB will be carrying out programmes for acquisition of new technology for growing products in the floriculture sector.

Capacity building programs for creative industry will also be conducted with the support of the National Craft Council.

“We will be carrying out a programme on tyre manufacturing with experts from India, Rubber Manufacturers Association of Sri Lanka and the Plastics and Rubber Institute of Sri Lanka,” Siriwardena said

She noted that training programmes on quality and testing for the automobile components will also be conducted as there is a demand for automobile components to be manufactured and exported for the supply chain of the car manufacturing industry in the other countries.

“We will help companies to get standards particularly for the Ayurveda sector as there is a long felt need to obtain quality certification standards for the Ayurveda sector where Sri Lanka can gain huge foreign exchange earnings through this sector,” she said. EDB will focus on carrying out market research programmes in a selected number of product areas which will be done by the market development division of EDB.

Under these initiatives, market research activities on spices and concentrates and herbal products will be carried out. A feasibility study on obtaining geographical indications for pineapple will also be conducted.

 

 


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