Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2019-02-26

Setting-up a Committee for the development of the Sugarcane and Sugar Industry in Sri Lanka

- Nearly, 9% of the total sugar requirement of the country is locally produced and the balance requirement of 91% is fulfilled by importation. Therefore, by developing the sugarcane and sugar industry in Sri Lanka would be able to save a large amount of foreign exchange. Taking this matter into consideration, attention has been focused to make a search for available new lands suitable for sugarcane cultivation and thereby to expand the cultivation by increasing the sugar production in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Navin Dissanayake, the Minister of Plantation Industries, to set up the Sri Lanka Sugar Industry Development Committee under the Chairmanship of the Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation Industries, to take appropriate measures to develop the sugarcane and sugar industry to enable both the growers and the millers engaged in sugarcane industry to enhance their income, was approved by the Cabinet.