Sri Lanka conquers overseas maize market

For the first time in the history of Sri Lanka corn agriculture is exported in large quantities in Canada, Taiwan and the Gulf countries. Chief Executive Officer, Traders Wayamba, Shahul Hameed Sadikeen Global  News Affairs said that they would be exporting 50, 000 metric tons mainly to be used as raw material for poultry feed.

He said that peace and more land made available for agriculture in Sri Lanka self-sufficient in corn this year. "The requirements of the country is 180,000 tons and tons per year during the harvest of the first season, the yield was 200,000 mt tons," he said. He added that they are now looking for the manufacture of chicken feed in Sri Lanka for export to these countries.

Traders Wayamba has a forward sale purchase agreement with 2.220 farmers in Anuradhapura district by giving them a guaranteed price of Rs 35 per kilo. Since the corn plant only takes about three and a half months to mature, farmers earn a profit of about Rs 150,000 more than two years and a half acres of corn.

"Subsequently, the corn is husked by another group who were supplied with the machines," he said. This project was facilitated by the Central Bank.

Wayamba Traders was established in 1993 as a single owner operator specializing in imports, exports of goods and there are local products such as sesame seeds, black pepper, desiccated coconut, nutmeg, the cinnamon, garcinia, soybeans, corn and other agricultural products.

He said he also influenced farmers to grow sesame as to export to these countries, primarily to produce edible oils. "While winning several awards realization Traders Wayamba is also a major supplier of commodities to the United Nations program launched the health of children in Sri Lanka." Sadikeen said that one of the main objectives of its business is to help the country reduce its trade deficit by helping to export more agricultural products.

"Our next project is to export baby food locally developed, thriposha and we try to export it from the port of Hambantota, since it is a free port," he revealed. Sri Lanka since last year became self-sufficient in rice and 50,000 tons will be exported in many countries mt from this year.