AHK, UNIDO boost for agriculture

• Launches ‘Exporting to the European Union – A Practical Guide for Sri Lankan Suppliers of Agricultural Products’ to increase export capacities in SL agri-food sector

The Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Sri Lanka (AHK – Sri Lanka) together with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have officially launched the publication “Exporting to the European Union – A Practical Guide for Sri Lankan Suppliers of Agricultural Products” on 1 March. 

The virtual event focused on providing certain key information needed to access the EU market and answered questions most frequently asked by exporters, potential exporters and trade support institutions in SL.

This publication was developed in the framework of an EU-funded project and aims to increase export capacities of SL businesses in the agriculture sector, by providing a simplified overview on the steps required to export European Union (EU) with a special emphasis on German and Dutch markets. 

Chief Delegate of AHK Sri Lanka Andreas Hergenröther stated: “The major reason for us as part of the German Chamber network to partner for the initiative is to support Sri Lankan exporters of agricultural products to obtain broader market access to the EU by providing key information on export and import regulations, required certifications, labelling and packaging regulations, logistic solutions and distribution channels in 

the EU.”

Furthermore, he underlined that with a total volume of 717 Mio. Euro Sri Lankan exports to Germany, Germany remains the third most important export market for SL behind the US and the UK.  International Technical Specialist from UNIDO Jairo Andres Villamil-Diaz highlighted that: “Sri Lankan Exporters have very special products of great potential and this practical guide for Sri Lanka suppliers of Agricultural Products, will help them to go through the process of exporting to the European Union, in a step-by-step process. 

“Moreover, with the help of UNIDO and AHK Sri Lanka, they can find further assistance to become very successful exporters and the visibility of Sri Lankan products will increase significantly in the international markets.”

The publication has been structured to highlight the most important topics such as legal aspects, certifications, standards, packaging, labelling, logistics, risk management, intellectual property rights, and the European consumer. 

During the discussion, Manager – Public Projects at AHK Sri Lanka Marvin Woischnik-Lange and Business Services Advisor at UNIDO Sampath Senanayake further elaborated on the additional information and guidance available for the exporters of agri-food and spice products once they are beyond the borders of SL. The publication is available in digital and print formats and can be obtained from UNIDO or the AHK Sri Lanka webpage (www.srilanka.ahk.de).