The Sri Lankan Tea Industry Celebrates Major Gains by the Smallholder Sector despite Economic Challenges

On the International Tea Day, the local tea industry is celebrating impressive achievements by the smallholder sector despite facing an array of unprecedented challenges posed by the economic challenges and the currency collapse. “It goes without saying that the local tea industry has faced many demanding issues, but on this year’s International Tea Day, we want to celebrate the resilience of our smallholder tea growers, who have overcome pandemic adversity to be back on track to reach high profitability levels,” says Niraj de Mel, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tea Board. “The smallholder sector has already achieved so much in terms of sustainability in the past couple of decades that is worth celebrating. This is a new chapter in the story of Ceylon Tea,” he added.

A delegation from Sri Lanka participated at the ‘BIOFACH’ Trade Fair, world’s largest annual organic food products trade show, held from 14 to 17 February 2023 in Nuremberg, Germany. This annual trade fair held since 1990 attracts food industry professionals from across the world. This year, 2,765 exhibitors from 95 countries participated in the trade fair. The fair was also attended by 36,000 trade visitors from 135 countries. Germany is one of the largest organic food markets in the world and BIOFACH figures show that the organic sector recorded revenues of €15.3 billion for the German organic market in 2022. In Europe, Germany is the largest market for organic products as well as the largest organic producer. In addition, veganism is increasingly popular in Germany creating export opportunities for meat and dairy substitutes as well as breakfast foods.

An author of the British newspaper The Guardian and her family are wowed by an ethical travel break, meeting local schoolchildren and visiting eco resorts set in verdant countryside and by pristine beaches.

Find the full article under https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/feb/09/sri-lanka-at-its-best-eco-ethical-community-holiday

Facilities have been provided to complete the Arrival Cards by foreigners coming to Sri Lanka and Departure Cards by Sri Lankans leaving the country online with effect from 01.01.2023.

Accordingly, the air passengers have been facilitated to fill this card online three days prior to their travel, visiting the official website www.immigration.gov.lk of the Department of Immigration and Emigration or through the website https://eservices.immigration.gov.lk/emb/eEmbarkation