Friday Dec 13, 2024
Friday Dec 13, 2024
Friday, 13 December 2024 02:38 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The National Packaging Centre (NPC) of the Export Development Board (EDB) recently conducted an awareness session focusing on ‘Packaging Solutions for Fruits and Vegetables’ at the EDB premises.
One of the objectives of conducting this awareness session was to reduce post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables through innovative packaging solutions and enhance the value of export products, benefitting the broader economy.
In Sri Lanka, post-harvest losses are significant, affecting 20%-30% of vegetables and 15%-20% of fruits. Inadequate packaging has been identified as a major cause of these losses.
The session was conducted in collaboration with packaging experts from the industry and the National Plant Quarantine Service, with the participation of 70 exporters and potential exporters.
The NPC was established for the promotion and development of the packaging industry in Sri Lanka. It supports a wide range of stakeholders, including exporters, manufacturers, designers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), women entrepreneurs, students, and research institutions. By fostering collaboration among Government bodies and other partners, the NPC plays a vital role in advancing Sri Lanka’s packaging industry and supporting sustainable growth in the agricultural export sector. The session featured insightful lectures by Packaging Consultant W. Abhaya Senavirathna, design83 CEO Dulesh Fernando, and National Plant Quarantine Service Deputy Director S.D. Kamani Priyadarshani.
Key topics such as packaging concepts, packaging materials, packaging technology, packaging design, and graphic design for fruits and vegetable packing, as well as the importance of the plant quarantine certificate and the process of obtaining the certificate were mainly discussed. Participants also learned about the importance of proper packaging, selection of the most effective methods, and selecting the right materials to prevent product degradation.
Further, packaging experts provided tailored solutions for appropriate packaging methods for export potential entrepreneurs participating in the program. In addition, Mount Packs Ltd. conducted a practical demonstration by packaging a sample of corrugated boxes.
At the end of the program, an evaluation was conducted due to the significant contributions made by the resource persons to enhance capacity and knowledge. The participants highly appreciated the usefulness of the program.
