H.E. NIU Dun, Ambassador and Representative of China to FAO, Daniel Gustafson, DDG FAO, Mr. K.D.S. Ruwanchandra, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Sri Lanka. Source: FAO
As part of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) FAO-China South-South Cooperation programme, Sri Lanka will receive US1.1m in funding to improve its fruit production and trade.
Sri Lanka signed an FAO-China South-South Cooperation Tripartite Agreement with The FAO, and the People’s Republic of China on 7 December.
The South-South Cooperation run by the FAO helps to transfer agricultural knowledge and expertise among participating countries in the global south. China has been an active participant and strong supporter of the programme, and since 2006 has funded US$80m toward the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme.
Sri Lanka is the second country to be funded by the FAO-China programme, after Mongolia.
The FAO stated that since the end of its 30-year civil war Sri Lanka has seen strong economic growth, but poor cultivation and high post-harvest losses lead to low yields. This also creates a challenge when adhering to food safety standards necessary for export.
Signing on to the programme will bring technical guidance and training to the Sri Lankan industry and help increase the value chain for certain fruit crops both domestically and for export to improve returns for farmers.
