Sri Lanka’s Basilur Tea wins top North American food award

Daily FT - 28/04/2014

• Third SIAL Canada triumph for Basilur Tea
• Latest award is for herbal infusion to Ceylon Tea
• 2013 tea exports at $ 1.5 b

In the wake of record exports in 2013, Pure Ceylon Tea has reported yet another achievement, with Basilur Tea Canada, allied to its Lankan firm Basilur Tea, clinching the main award at North America’s top food and beverages trade show this year.

“Basilur’s herbal tea product ‘Fruit Infusions’ received the highest award – the 2014 Top-10 Product Award – at the SIAL Canada expo. This is considered by many food industry specialists as a very rare achievement since Basilur has reached the Top-10 twice within three years,” said Basilur Tea Canada Director Rohan Perera on Thursday.

PUM Netherlands Senior Experts

The Sunday Leader - 27/04/2014

• The dutch contribution to social market economy in Sri Lanka

The PUM Netherlands Senior Experts (formerly known as NMCP) has completed over 400 projects assisting industries and service organizations in Sri Lanka.  PUM commenced its activities in Sri Lanka in 1990. We are proud to be serving the local industry for over 24 years providing them with much needed new technology.

Design development programme for Handloom Industry

Daily News - 21/04/2014
By K.A. Aleem

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board is making arrangements to organize a Design Development Programme for the Handloom Industry of Sri Lanka, obtaining the service of an International Design Expert

The objective is to enhance the design capabilities of a selected group of handloom manufactures and for exporters to upgrade their design capabilities and develop their products targeting the International Market. The programme is scheduled to be held during June 30 to July 17, 2014 at the SLEDB Auditorium.

Sri Lanka to double income from ornamental fish exports by 2016

Colombo Page - 10/04/2014

Sri Lanka has earned over Rs 1.2 billion last year from exporting ornamental fish and measures will be taken to double this income by 2016, the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry says.

Sri Lanka's ornamental fish production had produced over 46,000 metric tons in 2009 and this amount has increased to nearly 70,000 metric tons last year, placing Sri Lanka in the third place in exporting ornamental fishes, according to the Ministry.

Exporters praise cinnamon licensing, see good times ahead

EDB launches Lanka’s first official Ceylon Cinnamon exporters’ batch
Daily FT - 09/04/2014
Pix by Lasantha Kumara

Just a day after unveiling cinnamon logo licenses, Sri Lanka’s exporters heaped praise on the Government and the Export Development Board for the latest national initiative towards their sector on 8 April. “We are proud to have won this Pure Ceylon Cinnamon logo. To the global markets, this symbol shows where true cinnamon originates from. The EDB has really come out with it!” said an upbeat Priyadarshani Halpe, General Manager, G.P. de Silva & Sons International Ltd.

Halpe, one among many exporters who expressed similar sentiments, was speaking about the ‘Inaugural issuance of Pure Ceylon Cinnamon brand licenses to Lankan exporters’ event held at EDB Auditorium, Colombo on 7 April.

With first official Ceylon Cinnamon batch active, Lanka positions for $ 1b spice exports

Daily Finance Times - 08/04/2014

As Sri Lanka’s first batch of exporters successfully captured their licences to officially flavour the world with Sri Lanka’s second global brand yesterday, the country recommitted to $ 1 billion in spice and cinnamon exports by 2020.

“Today, nine Sri Lankan cinnamon export firms are empowered by this initiative. Together, these nine firms claim more than 25% of our annual cinnamon export values. We are aiming at $ 1 billion in spice and cinnamon exports by 2020,” said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen yesterday, addressing the ‘Inaugural issuance of Pure Ceylon Cinnamon brand licenses to Lankan exporters event’ at the EDB Auditorium.
In yet another important industry support initiative in the tradition of Export Development Board for Lankan exporters, for the first time, nine Sri Lankan cinnamon export firms qualifying to export cinnamon using ‘Pure Ceylon Cinnamon brand license’ were awarded license certificates by Bathiudeen at the event.
The qualifying exporters in the first batch were A Baur & Co Ltd., Casa Canela Ltd., Dtriangle Ltd, Food & Nature Ltd., G.P. De Silva & Sons International Ltd., Intercom Ltd., International Commodity Traders Ltd., Mohksha Ltd. and Rathna Producers Cinnamon Exports Ltd.

Bilateral trade with Germany hinges on three basics – quality, consistency and volumes

The Island - 05/04/2014
By Steve A. Morrell

From left: Bandula Dissanayake, Secretary, NCCSL, Tilak Godamune, Senior Deputy President, NCCSL, Dr. Jurgen Morhard, Sujeewa Samaraweera, Deputy President NCCSL, Bandula Egodage, Chairman, Export Development Board and Gerhard Truemper, First Secretary, Embassy of Germany. (Pic by Saman Ranaweera)

German Ambassador Dr. Jurgen Morhard said that bilateral trade with Germany could be expanded. Although trade with Sri Lanka could be pursued to reach higher levels, it is imperative that exports should be of high quality.

Germany, he said was constantly looking for quality with their trade partners and goods and services that form bi-lateral trade segments would have to achieve such production levels.

He was addressing last week’s conference convened by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) to promote bi-lateral trade with Germany.

Chairman and Chief Executive, Export Development Board, Bandula Egodage said Germany was one of Sri Lanka’s main trade partners, but he conceded that the bilateral segment of such trade was currently that Germany was assisting Sri Lanka in training and improving technological support.