Agri sector to target foreign market

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

We will take all steps to strengthen the agriculture export sector by enhancing the productivity of major crops with special significance to export trade, said Agriculture Development and Agrarian Services Minister Maithripala Sirisena addressing Export Agriculture Research Center officials, Matale .

He said pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cocoa, betel and cloves have a great demand in the export market.

We could earn Rs.18,138 million foreign exchange in the year 2008 and it shows a 19.7 percent growth compared with 2007.

We hope to increase it this year by giving financial support and introducing new techniques to farmers."

"Everyone knows local and foreign economies have changed. People engaged in export agriculture should identify this change and pay attention to grow traditional and non-traditional crops." he said.

"All plans have been made to cultivate crops except in the Northern and Eastern provinces in the last three decades.

But now we have to make plans for all nine provinces. So we hope to get more funds from the next budget and take steps to produce export agricultural crops all over the country," he said.