Developing markets for fruits, vegetables and flowers in the Gulf

Sri Lanka established diplomatic presence in the Gulf region in the early 1980s, beginning with an embassy in Abu Dhabi and later embassies in Jeddah and Kuwait. Commercial diplomats were assigned to these embassies, with a senior executive and later a second secretary (Commercial) working in Jedda and Kuwait, respectively. The focus was on diversifying exports beyond traditional products, with agricultural products, especially fruits and vegetables, being a top priority due to the large Sri Lankan communities in the Gulf countries.

With the government's Export Production Villages (EPV) programme, agricultural products were seen as an ideal opportunity for rural households to benefit from the open trade policy. From the beginning, the priority was to explore the market for nontraditional exports such as fruits and vegetables. In Kuwait, one of the first customers for F&V products was a small supermarket managed by a Sri Lankan, who invited the reporter to inspect the shipment and was shocked by the use of cane baskets instead of proper packaging.

This led to immediate improvements in packaging and shipping methods, resulting in successful sales.

In the floriculture sector, despite the preference for European cut flowers, a Sri Lankan importer was able to secure a pre-paid trial order from a Kuwaiti importer. After the shipment arrived and the quality was confirmed, orders began to expand rapidly, making Sri Lanka a major buyer of floricultural products in Kuwait by the end of 1985.

The proactive promotional efforts by the Export Development Board (EDB) and embassies in the Gulf region contributed to Sri Lanka's significant but small share in the F&V and floriculture markets in the GCC countries.