The Government of the Netherlands pledged itself to support Sri Lanka’s agriculture, education, tourism, and public sector development with technical knowledge and funding.
This was announced during a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat between a Dutch delegation led by Deputy Ambassador Iwan Rutjens and Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
Pivotal in this cooperation is the involvement of Wageningen University & Research, known for seven years running as the most sustainable university in the world.
It plans to collaborate with main Sri Lankan stakeholders active in agriculture and agro-ecotourism.
The partnerships will be utilized to find opportunities and challenges within the sector while accessing funds available for forestry and sustainable food systems.
Key financial partnerships are foreseen with entities such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, in addition to investments from the private sector.
The Dutch delegation visiting them displayed an eagerness to collaborate with Sri Lanka and was extended Technological and Financial support.
A few of the notable all members of the delegation present were but not limited to Business Management Professor Wilfred Dolfsma from Wageningen University, Asia Account Manager Kalyan Chakravarthy Guntuboyina, Chair for Cultural Geography Research Group Edward Huijbens, Ricardo Abdoel – Director RCI ASPIRE/u, Control-Care representative Shamoe Lakhisaran with Professor Ranil De Silva from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura.
Netherlands Ambassador to Sri Lanka Bonnie Horbach, on her part, focused on the demand from world markets for Sri Lankan agriculture produce, calling upon the Sri Lankan private sector and the government to capitalize on these world markets.
The Dutch would support them in doing so. The meetings also revolved around advanced Dutch agriculture technology and ways of increasing training.
Special attention was given to the courses for trainers that had already been conducted by the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Peradeniya, which had already benefited from Dutch support. It is planned to widen these courses and increase student participation.
He further told the Ambassador that Sri Lanka was losing an opportunity to be more engaged in the ornamental flowers market.
Whereas Kenya dominates flower export into the Netherlands, Sri Lanka can exploit this lucrative market, provided the right conditions for flower cultivation exist in the country. She said she was sad Sri Lanka imports flowers when it is ideally suited for local cultivation.
Besides, the Netherlands is aware of the international standing of Sri Lankan spices such as pepper, coffee, cinnamon, and cardamom, which are considered among the best in the world.
The Ambassador thus called upon Sri Lanka to have more production of spices for export since the interest in Sri Lankan spices began for the Dutch during the 16th and 17th centuries. She thus said that she was glad to see these products maintain their position at an international level for many centuries.
