Sri Lanka to upgrade food sector

Sri Lanka is upgrading its food processing sector. “The Ministry of Industry and Commerce led by Minister Rishad Bathiudeen is a leading facilitator of Sri Lanka’s food sector development. We have selected 20 firms for the food safety certification program and we are also targeting another 20 industries to gain HACCP or ISO 22000 international standard in food sector,” said Anura Siriwardene, Secretary, Ministry of Industry and Commerce on 18 October.

Secretary Siriwardene was addressing the launch of ‘Hotel Hospitality & Food 2012 Show’ at Colombo’s Exhibition and Convention Centre on 18 October.

The event is supported by Sri Lanka’s leading hotel and tourism bodies, and endorsed by the Ministry of Economic Development, the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, National Chamber of Exporters, Colombo Hoteliers’ Association and the Chefs’ Guild of Sri Lanka.

“The Ministry of Industry and Commerce led by Minister Rishad Bathiudeen is a leading facilitator of Sri Lanka’s food sector development. Last July, we have successfully conducted the Profoods/Propack exhibition for the 11th consecutive time with participants from India, Pakistan and Thailand along with leading food and packaging investors here.

“As part of our support to the hotel industry, we also have selected 20 firms for the food safety certification program which will help the chosen firms to obtain nationally and internationally recognised food safety and hygiene quality certificate,” added Siriwardene.

He revealed that a food safety and quality certification program will be conducted by Ministry of Industry and Commerce for the third consecutive year, targeting another 20 industries to gain HACCP or ISO 22000 international standard.

“This year’s event has become a special occasion not only because supplier principals from India, Thailand and Dubai are taking part today making it a regional and a professional event, but also this event is expected to select Sri Lanka’s contestants for the forthcoming London Culinary Olympics 2014,” Siriwardene noted.

Speaking on tourism, Siriwardene said: “What is more important is that this event is taking place at a time when we see strong growth in our tourism thanks to the development visions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development.

“As a result, last year we recorded 855,000 tourist arrivals with a 30.8% growth and $ 840 million in revenue. From January to August this year, 693,772 tourist arrivals with an increase of 15.8% in comparison to the same period of 2011 has been reported and we are expecting more than one million tourists this year. Interestingly, the strongest increase in arrivals was from both Eastern and Western Europe despite the economic downturn in the region,” he said.

According to Sri Lanka Tourism, a 15.8% increase (January-August 2011) was reported from Western Europe while from Eastern Europe, a 58% increase was seen.