Embassy of Sri Lanka takes part in ‘Iraq Agrofood 2019’ Baghdad trade exhibition

The Embassy of Sri Lanka participated in the ‘Iraq Agrofood 2019’ Baghdad Trade Exhibition which was held from 15 to 17 April at the Baghdad International Fair Ground, together with the Sri Lanka Tea Board and five Sri Lankan tea exporting companies. These five companies were Ceylon Tea Marketing Ltd., Ranfer Group, Expo Teas Ceylon Ltd., Nature Ceylon Trading Ltd. and Millennium Teas Ltd., who met with ‘Ceylon Tea’ buyers at this Exhibition.

‘Iraq Agrofood 2019 ‘ Baghdad Trade Exhibition is considered as a significant annual event in Iraq, where the leading Agrofood companies, from 16 countries exhibited items in 90 separate trade stalls. Sri Lanka’s participation at the trade exhibition in Baghdad, was after a lapse of seven years, the last occasion having been in 2012.

Major General (Retd.) Niranjan Asoka Ranasinghe, Ambassador of Sri Lanka in the Republic of Iraq, with Engineer Hashim M. Hatem Al-Sudani, Director General and Chairman of the Board, State Company for Iraqi Fairs and Commercial Services, declared opened the Sri Lanka Pavilion. An opportunity to taste Ceylon Tea was also provided to the public who visited the Sri Lanka Pavilion.

Iraq emerged as the largest importer of Ceylon Tea worldwide in 2018, with 38,350,636 kg imported to Iraq from Sri Lanka. Even in the first quarter of 2019, Iraq is the Number 1 importer, to have purchased 9,997,000 kg of Ceylon Tea.