Sri Lanka seeks to persuade India to lift pepper import restrictions

Strengthening cooperation between India and Sri Lanka in the spices’ industry and trying to resolve the restrictions on Sri Lankan pepper imports by India are among the issues slated for discussion during the visit to India by a Sri Lankan delegation of spice producers.

D. A. Perera, Chairman of The Spice Council with M.I. Inshaf of Ishana Spice Exports and Sanath de Silva of SDS Spices (Pvt) Ltd, members of the council’s Board of Management, will be attending the 9th World Spice Congress to be held in Goa, India from January 28 – 30.

Perera will hold discussions with V. J. Kurien, Chairman of the Spice Board of India and his officials to strengthen the co-operation and greater interaction between the spice industries of the two countries. He will also take up the issue of the cap placed by the Indian government to restrict imports of Sri Lanka pepper to India under the FTA between the two countries, and discuss arrangements to organize farmer educational tours to India on a regular basis for Sri Lankan spice farmers to obtain first hand knowledge and experience on advanced agronomical practices, use of organic fertilizer, new techniques and methods of planting, irrigation systems, post harvest handling and quality aspects of spices, the council said in a press release.

World Spice Congress is an event jointly organized by The Spices Board of India and All India Spices Exporters Forum once in two years and attracts all leading participants in the spice industry from more than 40 countries across the world.

The event includes a well-designed exhibition featuring spices and spice-based products, service providers, equipment manufacturers and facilitators.

Perera will also attend a meeting of the International Organization of Spice Trade Associations (IOSTA), of which the Sri Lankan council is a member. Perera will hold discussions with Ms. Susan Brown, President of the American Spice Trade Association and Pepe Sebater, Chairman of the European Spice Association regarding issues affecting the spice industry.