The US Ambassador Julie J. Chung called on Trade Minister Nalin Fernando yesterday.
The Ambassador said that currently, Sri Lanka is in the way of economic progress reforms and a market-oriented economy and emphasised the importance of enhancing food security in the country. She also stated that to slash the food price increase and to adapt to the inflation, Sri Lanka needs to diversify the market.
The Minister stated that currently, the trade Ministry focuses mainly on decreasing the cost of production, minimising post-harvest wastage, and enhancing the quality of production which are the main pillars of food security. He also added Sri Lanka seeks assistance with new technology to improve production and assistance for SME sector productivity improvement. The Ambassador added that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and aid programs like the Melinda Gates Foundation USA are willing to assist Sri Lanka further in the fields of Climate change, agriculture productivity, and digital economy. Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Food Security Secretary A.M.P.M.B Athapaththu and other officials participated in the discussion.