Category: Agriculture
Planters’ Association says 100-pct increase in daily basic wage not sustainable
Dec 07, 2018 (LBO) – Planters’ Association of Ceylon has reiterated the position of its membership that a 100 percent increase in daily basic wages as demanded by the trade unions simply cannot be sustained by the industry. The comments came in the wake of an indefinite strike action declared by the trade union leaders of the […]
Entrepreneurs in Jaffna? Take a look in Ammachi!
By Jekhan Aruliah Soon after I moved to Jaffna in 2015 I heard rumours of this fantastic food court run by war widows. Friends driving North from Colombo said they found it somewhere on the A9 near Killinochchi in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province. It was a year before I actually got round to visiting the […]
‘s Watawala Plantations records PAT of Rs.554Mn
Nov 09, 2018 (LBO) – Watawala Plantations PLC reported a profit after tax (PAT) of 554 million rupees for the six months ended 30 September 2018. The Company achieved a PAT of 358 million rupees in the second quarter (Q2) compared to the first quarter (Q1) PAT of 196 million rupees. The increase in the production […]
Sri Lanka tea prices mixed in Oct 2018
Nov 09, 2018 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s low growns teas continued to meet with good demand, whilst high and mid grown small leaf teas continued to witness downward pressure in prices following the lower quality and the higher volumes on offer, a recent report said. “National average for the month of October 2018 totalled Rs.586.19 […]
Sri Lanka export income up in Aug 2018: Reserves at USD 8.6Bn
Oct 30, 2018 (LBO) – The Central Bank of Sri Lanka said the island’s external sector performance remained subdued in August 2018. “During the month, the deficit in the trade account narrowed marginally compared to a year earlier as the rise in export income outpaced the growth in import expenditure,” it said. Meanwhile, other inflows […]
Palm Oil industry rejects vilification of crop as “baseless and unscientific”
Oct 08, 2018 (LBO) – The vilification of oil palm in Sri Lanka on the grounds of the crop’s purported adverse impact on the environment is completely unjustifiable, given that the extent of land under oil palm is just 1.1 per cent of the extent under traditional crops – tea, rubber and coconut, an industry body […]
Sri Lanka tea prices marginally up in Sept 2018
Oct 04, 2018 (LBO) – Auction average for the month of September 2018 totalled Rs.537.77 compared to Rs.534.02 of August 2018 showing a marginal increase of Rs.03.75 month on month, a new report said. “However in comparison to September 2017 average of Rs.635.40 it shows a substantial decrease of Rs.97.63,” Forbes & Walker Tea Brokers said […]
Feature: Building Sri Lanka’s resilience to climate change
By World Bank 38-year-old Sivasidambaram Vasugi is the General Manager of one of the first cooperative-owned seed paddy processing centers in Killinochchi, Si Lanka. The Integrated Farmers Thrift and Credit Cooperative Society (IFTCCS) provides local farmers with high-quality seeds, but these days, there are no buyers walking in the door. Her community is facing a […]
‘s fruits and vegetables
Sept 20, 2018 (LBO) – A Memorendem of Understanding has been signed between the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs and the Government of India, to commence the construction of the largest cold storage in Sri Lanka for vegetables and fruits. According to the MoU signed at the Indian High Commission in Colombo, with […]
FAO-EU to support improving the role of women in agriculture through training
Sept 19, 2018 (LBO) – A two-day training programme on the integration of women in the agriculture sector was held with representatives from ministries, private sector, civil society, academia, and development partners taking part in the event. Training is an integral part of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Associations FAO-EU FIRST policy advice facility and […]
Palm oil industry association launched to advocate sustainable growth in Sri Lanka
Sept 04, 2018 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Oil Palm industry has formally inaugurated an industry association under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to promote common interests and advocate ‘Sustainable Growth through Responsible Production.’ Representing cultivators of oil palm, and refiners, processors, manufacturers, marketers and sellers of palm oil and other products of […]
Opinion: Pulling back the curtain on privatization of Sri Lanka’s plantation sector
Dr. Romesh Bandaranaike shares his unique perspective of Sri Lanka’s plantations With the fate of Sri Lanka’s plantation industry continuing to remain as a hot-button issue of debate in the media, numerous views have been aired on the rationale behind the privatization of state plantations in 1992. In order to clarify the facts regarding privatization […]