Sri Lanka and Singapore discuss poultry export plan
The Morning: The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) hosted a high-level meeting on 1 August, with a delegation from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to discuss the progress of audits of poultry slaughter houses and further discussions on enabling Sri Lankan poultry exports to Singapore.
The meeting was chaired by EDB Chairperson and CEO Mangala Wijesinghe and attended by Director General Champika D. Dharmasena, senior EDB officials, as well as the senior officials from the Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) and the Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Ministry.
The SFA delegation included senior officials: Joint Operations Division Deputy Director Herman Teo, Joint Operations Division Senior Assistant Director Low Bee Leng, Regulatory Standards and Veterinary Office Veterinarian Dr. M. Yoganandhini and Southwest Regional Office Manager Alex Chen.
The Department of Animal Production and Health was represented by Director General Dr. Hemali Kothalawala, Additional Director General Dr. H. Kothalawala, and other technical experts.
The Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation Ministry was represented by Livestock Development Additional Secretary Dr. Palika Fernando.
The discussions built on two recent SFA inspection missions to Sri Lanka. The first visit, conducted in March 2024, covered New Anthony’s Farm, Nelna Farm, and Ceylon Grain Elevators.
The second visit, held from 28 July to 1 August, included audits of DAPH, Pussella Farm, Jaya Farm, and Bairaha Farms PLC.
Sri Lanka’s potential to supply high-quality poultry products was emphasised, backed by its disease-free status, strategic geographic position, and competitive product offerings.
In 2024, Sri Lanka exported poultry products worth $ 5.4 million reflecting a 37% year-on-year increase to destinations including the Maldives, Qatar, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Japan. Efforts are also underway to enter the Chinese market.
EDB and DAPH have shortlisted several Sri Lankan companies for potential export to Singapore, and the necessary applications have already been submitted to the SFA.
Key discussion points included meeting Singapore’s rigorous food safety standards and outlining the regulatory requirements for Sri Lankan exporters to secure market access.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka is engaged in further strengthening and expanding its trade ties while also exploring avenues to expand access for local exports in the foreign markets. It is in such a backdrop that Sri Lanka and Singapore are looking at poultry exports from Sri Lanka. The steady growth and expansion of Sri Lanka’s exports industry and related sectors have resulted in the growth of business/investment opportunities in these fields. The growth, profits and expansion of local businesses in the exports industry and related sectors are a clear indication of the increasing business potential in these sectors. The many trade agreements and trade concessions enjoyed by Sri Lanka with many foreign countries have given a further impetus to the country’s exports industry. While there’s expansion business/investment opportunities in many industries in the exports sector, the latest to be added to this list is the poultry industry. Given the interest shown by Singapore to import poultry from Sri Lanka, the emerging business/investment opportunities here would present lucrative ventures for foreign businesses/investors. Foreign businesses/investors could also explore the expanding business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s exports industry and related sectors.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20250813Z_5 |