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| Monday, 28 June 2004 |
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Boost for certified timber based products by Irangika Range The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and the Centre for Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) in the Netherlands will launch a program to promote timber based products manufactured from certified timber. CBI would propose to develop wood products introducing European market requirements. An official of the EDB said the objectives of the program were to provide technical support to upgrade production, create opportunities to enter the EU and other markets. "It also provides modern technology to improve productivity and quality," he said. He said the EDB is expected to set up national working group to promote the sector with the assistance from the Rubber Research Institute, Department of Forestry, local plantation companies, NGOs and smallholders. "We have planned to introduce an SME group scheme for the rubber as well as other products. We have also decided to help SME enterprises to obtain international certificates to enter the foreign market. Our main targets are to build an environment friendly society to protect natural forests and increase the demand for local furniture in the international market," he said "The new trend in the international market is that customers pledge to buy wooden products from certified timber manufacturers and exporters. Wooden manufacturers and exporters should have internationally recognised certificates such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Canadian International Standard (CIS)," he said." Our main buyers are India, USA, UK , Saudi Arabia and Iran. Exports of wooden products comprising furniture, wooden craft and broomstick recorded US$ 13 million in 2002 while it was US$ 19 million in 2003," he said. |
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