Sri Lanka to use Netherlands as key EU food exports hub
The Morning: Plans are underway to expand the local food and beverage export industry by establishing the Netherlands as a strategic hub to boost exports to the European Union (EU), the Export Development Board (EDB) reveals.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, EDB Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Mangala Wijesinghe revealed that Sri Lanka’s food and beverage exports achieved a total revenue of $ 478 million in 2024, which amounted to an 11% Year-on-Year (YoY) growth.
He noted that this growth highlighted the food and beverage export sector’s resilience and the expanding global demand for Sri Lankan food and beverage products.
“The food and beverage export industry accounted for 3.4% of the country’s total merchandise exports, underscoring its significance within the nation’s export portfolio. This upward trend reflects the sector’s potential for further expansion, driven by increasing international market penetration and growing consumer preference for Sri Lankan products,” he stated.
Accordingly, Wijesinghe revealed that as part of the ongoing drive to expand the food and beverage export industry, discussions had commenced for a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to establish the Netherlands as a strategic hub to boost food exports to the EU.
Additionally, he said that feasibility studies were being planned for high-quality value-added salt production for the food processing industry and organic certification for sugarcane plantations and processing centers.
Wijesinghe further revealed that they had identified potential investment areas in the seafood sector and were working on implementing a traceability system for Ceylon Cinnamon to enhance its global competitiveness.
Plans are also underway to position Sri Lanka as a commodity hub for value-added Australian agricultural products, allowing re-export to other markets.
Moreover, to further support the local food and beverage export sector, the EDB will be organizing Sri Lanka’s participation in international trade events, Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings, and inward buying missions to connect local businesses with global buyers and investors.
According to Wijesinghe, these initiatives aim to strengthen Sri Lanka’s food export industry and expand its market reach.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s exports industry is on a steady growth path with an increase in revenue generation for the country. The steady growth in the exports industry also indicates the overall expansion in the industry, which in-turn indicates the increasing business/investment opportunities in the sector. The many trade agreements and trade concessions enjoyed by Sri Lanka with many foreign countries, the increasing business conducive environment in the country have all helped boost the country’s exports industry. With local authorities carrying out many promotional campaigns and encouraging local manufacturers to add value and diversify the existing export product portfolio, the growing business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s exports industry present many lucrative business ventures for foreign businesses/investors. It is in such a backdrop that Sri Lanka is looking at expanding the local food and beverage export industry by establishing the Netherlands as a strategic hub. While Dutch businesses/investors could therefore explore the increasing opportunities in Sri Lanka’s exports industry, other foreign businesses/investors could also look at benefiting from the increasing opportunities in the industry given the increasing business potential.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20250312/Z_5 |