Category: Agriculture

Dec 10, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tea production is expected to hit a new high this year, exceeding 320 million kilos despite recent shortfalls owing to bad weather, while prices are also at record levels, brokers said. The average tea price at the Colombo auctions up to end-November of 369.38 rupees a kilo was […]

December 8, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka is set to import chicken for the first time in over two decades as consumption zooms due to a tourist bonanza and rising incomes on the formerly war-ravaged island, a minister said Wednesday. Trade Minister Johnston Fernando said he had ordered the import of 2,500 tonnes of chicken […]

Dec 02, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tea export earnings hit a new high in October 2010 as shipments rose to their highest level in four years amid high prices, brokers said. Some of the BOP type teas rose by over 50 rupees a kilo. Prices of low grown teas, which make up the bulk […]

Nov 30, 2010 (LBO) – An increase in tax on Sri Lanka’s bulk tea exports is likely to reduce prices paid by buyers although it had no immediate impact owing to prevailing strong demand, brokers said. The cess on all other value added tea products will remain at 7. 50 rupees a kilo. “The 3.50 […]

Nov 22, 2010 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government intends to distribute among small farmers uncultivated land on tea estates operated by listed regional plantations corporations, President Mahinda Rajapaksa told parliament. The RPCs will be given six months’ notice to cultivate unused land, he said during a speech on the government budget for 2011. If […]

Nov 22, 2010 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government plans to raise taxes on exports of bulk tea and raw rubber in penalizing producers and restricting their market access in a bid to support value added production, the budget for 2011 said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa told parliament during his budget speech that the island has […]

Nov 15, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will call for expressions of interest internationally to hire advertising and media firms to handle a 10 million dollars a year Ceylon tea promotion campaign, a senior Tea Board official said. Other important but smaller markets are the Far East, Europe and North America. “That step (hiring an […]

Nov 14, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s fishery sector needs more data on resource stocks, especially in war-torn Northern areas, new techniques and improvements in post harvest handling, a think tank has said. In 2008 fish production in Sri Lanka’s eastern province had increased to 70,520 metric tonnes from 39,760 tonnes a year earlier. In […]

Nov 10, 2010 (LBO) – India will build 5,000 homes for workers on Sri Lanka’s plantations in the central hills which are a key sector of the island economy, a statement from the Indian High Commission said. Indian High Commissioner Ashok Kantha announced the stepping up of Indian assistance for people in the hill country […]

Nov 05, 2010 (LBO) – Broadband download speeds delivered by Dialog Axiata, Sri Lanka’s dominant mobile operator, exceed expectations although its main rival Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) does better on other measurements, a report said. Dialog’s 1Mbps (megabytes per second) post-paid broadband package delivers more than promised in download speeds, recent Quality of Service Experience […]

Nov 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Cargills will strengthen its presence in the island’s dairy sector by taking over three processing plants and having broader access to farmers, the company said in a statement. “The acquisition of Kotmale Holdings PLC comes in the wake of these identified opportunities and potential for sustainable long term […]

Nov 01, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has slashed import taxes on vegetable oils, potatoes and onions to encourage imports as local prices rose, a senior finance ministry official said. S R Attygalle, director general fiscal policy, said the import tax on coconut oil has been cut to 15 rupees a kilo or 15 percent, […]