Sri Lanka expects fruit and vegetable exports to grow in 2012

Dec 01, 2012 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's fruit and vegetable exports are expected to grow between three to five percent in 2012 after growing 10 percent in 2011, despite a global downturn that had dragged down total exports an industry official has said.







Sri Lanka's overall exports were down 5.8 percent to 7.39 billion US dollars up to September 2012.



Sri Lanka's total agricultural exports, which includes tea was down 8.2 percent to 1.73 billion US dollars by September.

Sivagnanam Gnanaskandan, the new chairman of the Lanka Fruit and Vegetable Producers, Processors and Exporters Association (LFVPPEA) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, said fruit exports were up in 2012 but vegetables shipments were down.

In 2011 fruit and vegetable exports had grown 10.

5 percent to 36 million US dollars.

In the first half of 2012 Sri Lanka had exported 22 million US dollars of fruit and vegetables, he was quoted as saying in a Ceylon Chamber of Commerce statement.

While fruit exports had risen 12 percent in the first six months, vegetable exports were down 18 percent.

Gnanaskandan said the sector expected exports to grow 3 to 5 percent by the end of 2012.