Opinion: Recipe for reform, Smallholders hold key to productivity in SL’s tea industry
By K.L Gunaratne (Chairman, Sri Lanka Federation of Tea Smallholders) With nearly 500,000 smallholders in total, the tea smallholder sector is a significant …
Agriculture
Focus on opportunities in developing agriculture to be explored at SL Eco Summit
COVID-19 has disrupted agriculture and supply chains in every corner of the globe. Firms in the supply chain have been tested and some have to transform their …
Regional Plantation Companies complete 39,150 new houses for estate workers
Oct 22, 2020 (LBO) – The Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) commended the exhaustive measures taken by Regional Plantation Companies (RPC) in completing …
President requests China to participate in Sri Lanka’s tea auction; open market for SL items
Oct 09, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa requests China to participate in Sri Lanka’s tea auction as it will be a major boost to …
Sri Lanka to have short and long term plans to meet domestic liquid milk demand
Sep 15, 2020 (LBO) - President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed officials to implement a short-term and long-term plan in collaboration with the public, …
President instructs to rehabilitate 5,000 tanks immediately
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa directed relevant authorities to rehabilitate 5,000 tanks scattered across the island following a mechanism combining ancient …
Loss-making plantation companies to be handed over to tea smallholders as pilot project
Sep 09, 2020 (LBO) – President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emphasized that the tea industry which has suffered a severe setback should be revived based on a holistic …
Crysbro strengthens Sri Lanka’s food security agenda with seed paddy production
Cementing its continued commitment to bolstering the country's food security agenda, leading poultry producer Crysbro recently initiated operations on seed …
President removes tax imposed on gem & jewelry industry; Rs.1Mn loan at 4-pct interest
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa decides to remove the 14% income tax imposed on the profit earned by the gem and jewelry manufacturers and the 15% tax on gold …
President plans to promote Kitul and Palmyra into main export crops
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa revealed his intention to develop Kitul(Fishtail Palms) and Palmyra Palms plantation into main export crops of Sri Lanka in order …
Oil Palm industry calls for urgent engagement with Govt. over-cultivation ban
Aug 24, 2020 (LBO) - The Palm Oil Industry Association (POIA) has said in a statement that while it respects the decisions relating to the industry contained …
Digging of new Mutwal Storm Water Drainage Tunnel completed helping Colombo flood control
Aug 21, 2020 (LBO) – The breakthrough ceremony of the new Mutwal Storm Water Drainage Tunnel was held today under the patronage of State Minister of Urban …
Plantation companies to lose Rs 500 mn. due to govt. vacillation on oil palm
Aug 17, 2020 (LBO) - Plantation companies will sustain a cumulative loss of more than Rs 500 million within months due to policy inconsistencies and …
Fitch plans to withdraw ratings of Kotagala Plantations
Jul 27, 2020 (LBO) - Fitch Ratings plans to withdraw the ratings of Kotagala Plantations PLC for commercial reasons on or about 21 August 2020, which is …
Opinion: The myth: Self-sufficiency guarantees food security
By Sathya Karunarathne The novel coronavirus which drove cities and countries into lockdown has now sparked anxiety over a possible food crisis given the …
Sri Lanka tea average up in June 2020
Jul 09, 2020 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's national tea average for the month of June 2020 totalled Rs. 612.67 vis-à-vis Rs. 697.57 of May 2020, which was the highest …
Sri Lanka to launch e-Land Registration programme by August
Jun 30, 2020 (LBO) – Sri Lanka's e-Land Registration programme is expected to launch by August this year with the support of the Information & …
National tea sales average up in May 2020
Jun 03, 2020 (LBO) - National average for the month of May 2020 totalled Rs. 697.57, the highest ever recorded for a calendar month surpassing the previous …
PM MR sworn in as Minister of Community Empowerment, Estate Infrastructure Development
Jun 01, 2020 (LBO) - Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as the new Cabinet Minister of Community Empowerment and Estate Infrastructure Development …
Reducing health costs and increasing Government revenue beyond COVID-19: Raising cigarette taxes
Harini Weerasekera and Chamini Thilanka The susceptibility of smokers to contract COVID-19 has been recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other …