The Sri Lanka Fruit and Vegetable Producers, Processors, and Exporters Association (SLFVPPEA) is looking at expanding its footprint in the Chinese market by evaluating its export strategy, The Morning Business learns.
“We have now evaluated our export strategy and we have mainly been planning on focusing on three main products: Banana, pineapple, and mango. We are working on a five-year plan and looking at expanding Chinese markets,” SLFVPPEA Chairman Zuraish Hashim stated.
Hashim also revealed that China is a country the board has planned to focus on, mainly due to the agreement of the Wholesalers Association between Sri Lanka and the China National Agriculture Wholesale Market Association (CAWA).
Furthermore, he stated that the Association is focusing on European markets as well, while also further developing other existing markets such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Maldives.
“We are closely looking at China because we have filed the agreement with the Chinese Wholesalers’ Association. We are looking at directing our exports to Europe as well. Our biggest export consumers include Gulf, Dubai, Katar, the Maldives at the moment,” he further added.
In addition to this, Hashim stated that the Association is working alongside the World Bank and the Ministry of Agriculture on projects such as the Agriculture Sector Modernisation Project (ASMP). The ASMP aims to support and increase agriculture productivity, improve market access, and enhance value addition of smallholder farmers and agribusinesses in project areas.
In addition to the main products, the Association said it has a particular interest in avocado and passion fruit and expressed their potential in the export markets.
Initiated by the Commercial Division of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing, China, and supported by the Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka, SLFVPPEA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CAWA in November 2018 to increase exports to China and expand rapidly in the coming years.
Additionally, Hashim also announced the possible diversification of the export portfolio with the addition of blueberries in the near future. He said that as imports have been reduced, the Government is heading towards import substitution, where local production will replace importation. As a result, local production will be influenced to increase to cater to the export markets.
Hashim expressed this as another way to decrease imports, while catering to the demand locally as consumers, the government, and the economy would benefit from.
Fruit and vegetable exporters eye Chinese market expansion
11 Feb 2021
Fruit and vegetable exporters eye Chinese market expansion
11 Feb 2021