Minor Export Crop earnings up 215% over 5 years – new Spice Council chairman
View(s):Over the last five years, earnings from Minor Export Crops have increased by 215 per cent, with export volumes growing by 98 per cent, and value additions expanding by 260 per cent, according to Nanda Kohona, the newly appointed Chairman of the Sri Lankas Spice Council.
Nanda Kohona speaks at the AGM.
Further, Mr Kohona, also added that extent of land use for Minor Export Crops had also grown by 6,500 hectares. In addition, he also noted that, in 2013, Minor Export Crops had contributed around 14.5 per cent to overall export earnings, while just 7.9 per cent of the total extent of cultivated land was allocated for these crops, compared to overall land allocation including tea, rubber and coconuts.
Mr. Kohona’s comments were made at the recent Annual General Meeting of the Spice Council, during which he also signalled that positive growth in the Spice sector over the last decade had resulted in a “very attractive picture” for Sri Lanka, further helped by high prices for local spices having been paid by foreign buyers, especially for Cinnamon and Pepper. Commenting further, he referred to some future avenues for the Spice Council. specifically opining that, with local pepper featuring a high level of “Piperene”, it was “time for the relevant government authorities together with the exporters to brand Sri Lankan Pepper as well since the ‘Piperene’ level is around 5-6 per cent compared to 3-4 per cent for other origins”. At the same time, Mr. Kohona also said that the “production of spices such as Cloves, Nutmeg, Ginger, Turmeric, Citronella, Cardamom, Lemon Grass, etc needed to be increased very much with the growing demand for these in the world in value added form and to their health benefits. In addition, exports of Organic Spices too need to be encouraged very much with many consumers in the world is turning towards organic food due to health benefits”.
(JH)