Sri Lanka to Boost Sugar Industry with Brazilian Technical Cooperation

Sri Lanka currently imports around 90% of its domestic sugar requirement, resulting in significant foreign exchange expenditure, according to recent government observations.

Authorities have identified weaknesses in local sugarcane cultivation and sugar production, along with several operational challenges that need to be addressed through international technical cooperation.

To improve the sector, a proposal submitted by the Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development has received Cabinet approval to implement a technical cooperation project with Brazil.

The initiative aims to increase sugarcane yield and domestic sugar production in Sri Lanka, enhance farmers’ technical capacity through training and knowledge exchange, improve the efficiency of value-added by-products, and strengthen institutional capacity within the sugar manufacturing sector.

Brazil’s expertise in sugarcane cultivation and sugar production, as a global leader in the industry, is expected to play a key role in supporting Sri Lanka’s development efforts.

The project will be implemented under the framework of a technical cooperation agreement signed between Sri Lanka and Brazil in 2008 and is planned to be executed over a period of 36 months.