The government has decided to increase the export of agricultural crops from next year and plans have already been drawn up for the development of minor crops, the State Minister of Development of Minor Crops Related Industries and Export Promotion Janaka Wakkumbura said. Exports of a wide range of crops including sugarcane, maize, cashew nuts, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, betel, indigenous mangoes, cassava and sour sops will be increased. Accordingly, the area under cultivation of these crops has been increased, said State Minister Janaka Wakkumbura.
The government has also decided to produce and export pepper oil. The program is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of next year, the State Minister added. According to the Department of Export Agriculture, 3739 metric tons of betel leaves were exported from January to November this year (2020) earning Rs. 2.792 billion of foreign exchange. Last year (2019) 4677 metric tons of betel was exported and the foreign exchange earned that year was Rs. 3.406 billion. About 95 percent of Sri Lanka’s betel production is exported to Pakistan, as well as to countries in the Middle East, Japan and the United Kingdom, said Dr. Ananda Subhasinghe, Director of the Intercrop and Betel Research Center at the Department of Export Agriculture.