COLOMBO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government, on Tuesday said it had not imposed any restrictions on exporting tea, coconut and rubber as these were vital export crops which would help boost the country's economy.
The government information department quoted Plantations Minister Ramesh Pathirana as saying that the decision to continue these exports was taken in order to ensure that those engaged in these export industries were not faced with economic difficulties.
Accordingly, the minister said that measures have been taken to ensure all operations related to these crops from the plantation stage to transport, export and auction processes will continue without any hindrance even during the ongoing curfew due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, sugarcane, cashew and other minor export crop farmers have also been exempted from any restrictions and instructions have been issued to ensure they have the freedom to engage in their cultivation, the minister added.
"Those engaged in the plantation industry are allowed to carry on their operations, however, they should adhere to the guidelines set by the Health Ministry and the Police," Pathirana said.
Sri Lanka's total exports reached 16.14 billion U.S. dollars in 2019 with tea, rubber and coconut contributing heavily to the total exports.
According to official statistics, last year, the United States was the top export destination of Sri Lankan commodities, with 3,139 million U.S. dollars, followed by Britain with 998 million dollars, India with 759 million dollars, Italy with 531 million dollars and Belgium with 352 million dollars.
