Sri Lanka’s spending on dairy imports up 18-pct in 2014, exports drop 8-pct

Sep 11, 2015 (LBO) - Sri Lanka’s expenditure on dairy and dairy products imports rose by 18 percent from a year earlier to 44 billion rupees during 2014, a new report says. According to a report by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, import volumes increased three percent to 71 million kilograms, and the increase in imports was mainly due to the higher prices of dairy and dairy products. "The pickup in volumes in 2014 was on the back of a sharp decline in 2013, following issues regarding chemical contamination." Meanwhile, the report says export volumes of dairy and dairy products from Sri Lanka in 2014 fell to 595,000 Kilograms from the six-year high of 661,000 kilos seen in 2013. "Last year’s production was impacted by drought conditions and the spread of foot and mouth disease," the report said. The value of exports have declined by 8 percent in 2014, but remained above the average over the previous 7 years. The largest market for Sri Lankan dairy and dairy products exports in 2014 was the Maldives, accounting for 80 percent.