Enhancing the value of agri exports to be discussed at CCC economic forum
View(s):Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2015′s second day sessions to be held on August 5 will lead off with topic of ‘Championing Value Addition in Agri Exports’ – which will discuss ways and means of championing value addition, organisers Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CC) said.
Keynote speaker of this session will be Mr. Myong Keun Eor, Honorary Senior Fellow of the Korea Rural Economic Institute. He has earlier served as the Adviser of the Trade Negotiating Civil Committee of Korea, Coordinator of Korea Pacific Economic Cooperation Council and Special Member of the Agriculture and Rural Development, etc.
The chamber said the keynote speech will be followed by a panel discussion with the participation of experts from a cross section of the agri sector. Among the panellists are Annes Junaid, Managing Director of CBL Natural Foods, Irfan Thassim, Managing Director of Oceanpick Pvt Ltd and Buddhi Marambe – Professor of the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Peradeniya while Rizvi Zaheed Managing Director, Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd will moderate the session.
“Sri Lanka’s export growth is seriously hampered owing to the lack of diversification of our export basket and export markets. The island nation’s export market is purely concentrated in Western economies, while tea and apparel continue to dominate with a 60 per cent export income share. This leaves our export sector vulnerable to various external shocks,” the CCC said.