The Korean government and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) have started an arrangement to support the program of modernization of the Plant Quarantine Service at the Seaport of Colombo.
Accordingly, the Plant Quarantine Service at Colombo sea Port has been expanded from today (25) and the new Plant Quarantine Service building built at a cost of 1.3 million USD was opened today (25) in the morning at the Colombo sea Port premises.
Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera and Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Mr. Nimal Siripala de Silva, Agriculture Secretary Mr. Janaka Dharmakeerthi, Director General of the Department of Agriculture Dr. Kamani Ranatunga and several officials attended the event.
The representatives from the Korean Government, Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ms. Miyon Lee, Vice President of KOICA Mr. Lee Yunyong, and Country Director of KOICA. Ms. Kim Miyungjin and others also participated in the event.
From 2019 to 2024, the Korean government implemented a number of programs to modernize the plant quarantine service in Colombo Sea Port. . The amount they have spent on this project is 7.5 million USDs. Under that, this new building has been constructed and using this new technology, necessary research facilities and laboratory facilities have been established for import and export plant quarantine.
The representatives of the Korea International Cooperation Agency, who expressed their opinion, also mentioned that they have worked to expand the plant quarantine services in Sri Lanka as well as to provide the necessary facilities to use the new technology required for it.
The Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, who expressed his views here-
So far, despite various difficulties in the port of Colombo, our staff have worked to maintain the plant quarantine service very well. Excellent measures were taken to prevent certain diseases and pests from entering the country, especially by the plants imported into the country.
From today, the service has been established in a building with good facilities. On behalf of the government, I would like to express my thanks to the Korean government and the Korea International Cooperation Agency for their support.
Plant quarantine is a necessary service for a country. We know that various things are happening in countries related to this subject. If an organism that is harmful to the country in some way or enters due to any of our weaknesses, the negative impact on the country is not insignificant. Therefore, it is very important for us to implement the work order from today to modernize our plant quarantine service.
The minister also mentioned that I express my gratitude to the Korean government.
