Sri Lanka moves to secure GI status for Ceylon golden pineapple
The Morning: Sri Lanka has applied for local registration of Geographical Indication (GI) status for Ceylon golden pineapple with the National Intellectual Property Office (NIPO), marking the first step towards securing international registration for the product.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, Western Province Department of Agriculture Ceylon Golden Pineapple Project Coordinating Officer Janaki Alwis stated that the Ceylon golden pineapple had been recognised as an intellectual property of Sri Lanka.
She added that, accordingly, a gazette notification had been issued granting permission to apply for GI status for the product.
Alwis explained that obtaining local GI registration was a prerequisite for pursuing global recognition.
“We have now submitted the application to the NIPO, and once local registration is secured, we will have to apply for global registration,” she said.
According to Alwis, authorities have indicated that the local registration process is expected to take approximately six to eight months.
Highlighting the importance of GI status, she noted that Sri Lanka lagged behind other countries in leveraging such protections.
“China has over 1,200 GI-registered products and India has more than 600, whereas Sri Lanka currently has GI recognition for only one product, Ceylon Cinnamon. We are now working to secure GI status for products such as pepper and pineapple,” she said.
Alwis further stated that prior to seeking international GI recognition, efforts were being made to build local awareness of Ceylon golden pineapple, including the justification and need for GI registration.
Accordingly, she pointed out that the significant expenditure needed for the process would require financial support from a funding partner.
GI certification helps protect and promote products by linking their quality, reputation, and characteristics to a specific geographical origin. It also enhances market value and competitiveness in both domestic and international markets.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s move to secure GI status for Ceylon golden pineapple signals more than just brand protection as it opens a pathway for high-value export growth and strategic foreign investment. GI recognition would elevate the product into a premium category, allowing exporters to command higher prices in international markets. For foreign businesses/investors, this creates opportunities across the value chain and there also is strong potential in modernising cultivation through agri-tech partnerships, improving yield consistency, and scaling up organic and sustainable farming practices that appeal to global consumers. Beyond production, business/investment prospects extend into processing and value addition such as canned pineapple, juices, dried fruit, and nutraceutical products. With GI branding, these products gain a differentiated identity, making them more competitive in niche and high-end markets in Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia. Logistics and cold chain infrastructure also present key entry points with Sri Lanka’s geographical positioning working to the favour of Sri Lanka’s export industry. Reducing post-harvest losses and maintaining quality during export are critical gaps that foreign expertise and capital as well as branding, packaging, and international marketing partnerships can help position Ceylon golden pineapple as a luxury tropical fruit. Given all these developments, foreign businesses/investors, while exploring business/investment opportunities in the pineapple cultivation, export as well as related sectors, they could also look at expanding operations through joint ventures/partnerships with local businesses.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20260504/Z_1 |