Delegation to Sri Lanka, Colombo

The Danish Agriculture & Food Council (DAFC) and the Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi invite you to participate in an export delegation to Sri Lanka (Colombo) focusing on sustainable agriculture and food production.

With a total of 28 000 Km2 of agricultural land in Sri Lanka, about 70% is used for cultivation and the rest is used for mixed animal husbandry. The country counts 13 million poultry, 1.3 million cattle, 0.3 million buffalo, 0.4 million goats and 0.08 million pigs. In the year 2022, Sri Lanka produced about 506 million litres of milk. As local breeds have poor productivity, a large portion of livestock breeds are cross or introduced breeds. Artificial insemination covers 60% of the breeding using majorly locally produced straws and a limited few are imported.

Over 30% of Sri Lankans are employed in the agricultural sector. Sri Lanka is import dependent for its animal feed, nutrition, farm inputs and technology. Leading up to 2021, the country saw a depletion of its foreign reserve which led the government to ban pesticide and various farm inputs which lead the country further into an economic crisis. With a discussion of 2.9 billion USD IMF bailout, Sri Lanka's economy has begun a path towards recovery. Sri Lanka's agriculture sector grew 3% from a year earlier. In the year 2023, the agriculture sector contributed about 10.4% to the national GDP, out of which the fisheries sector contributed around 1.3%, and the livestock sector accounted for 0.6%.

The Sri Lankan market therefore offers various opportunities in farm inputs, mechanisation solutions, animal feed and feed additives, food processing equipment etc. This delegation is being planned with the core objective for Danish companies to explore the Sri Lankan agriculture and animal husbandry sectors, maximize your business opportunities in the market and to promote the export of Danish products, equipment and solutions to Sri Lanka.

Who should join?

Danish companies engaged in activities along the value chains incl.:

• Plant and animal breeding and genetics.
• Farm inputs, feed ingredients, plant and animal nutrition.
• Animal housing structure, ventilation systems, and related equipment.
• Farming equipment, farm mechanisation solutions, irrigation.
• Cold storage and quality control solutions.
• Processing solutions including testing equipment.
• Farm management and consultancy.

Your benefits

• Explore potential business opportunities in tailored B2B sessions with your targeted customers and potential future partners in Sri Lanka.
• Get insights about market trends and demand for resource-efficient equipment and solutions in the interesting Sri Lankan market and how to tap into these opportunities.
• Gain better understanding of challenges within agriculture and food production, prevailing regulations, and standards applicable for sustainable solutions in Sri Lanka at the meetings with relevant authorities.
• Increase your company’s creditability towards Sri Lankan customers and partners by being a part of the delegation led by the Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi.
• A networking reception and networking dinner with participation of Sri Lankan customers and stakeholders.

PROGRAMME 9-12 December 2024

Monday, 9 December 2024 in Colombo (Day 1)

• Arrival in Colombo (Sri Lanka) and briefing by the DAFC.
• Informal get-together by company representatives in the afternoon.

Tuesday, 10 December 2024 in Colombo (Day 2)

• Programme introduction by the Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi.
• Introduction meeting on challenges and opportunities within the agriculture and food industry in Sri Lanka with relevant authorities and industry organisations.
• Tailored B2B session between the delegation and Sri Lankan companies.
  - Welcome speech by Søren Nørrelund Kannik-Marquardsen, Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi.
  - Presentations by the delegates from the Danish companies.
  - Presentations by and introductions to the Sri Lankan companies.
• Separate B2B interactions between the companies.
• Networking reception incl. participation of Sri Lankan customers, stakeholders, and potential partners.

Wednesday, 11 December 2024 in Colombo (Day 3)

• Company visit 1 (To be identified based on the group of companies).
  - Presentations by the delegates from the Danish companies.
• Company visit 2 (To be identified based on the group of companies).
  - Presentations by the delegates from the Danish companies.
• Company visit 3 (To be identified based on the group of companies).
  - Presentations by the delegates from the Danish companies.
• Networking dinner with selected invited stakeholders.

Thursday, 12 December 2024 in Colombo (Day 4)

• Field visit 1 based on the group of companies.
• Field visit 2 based on the group of companies.
• Recap and end of programme by the Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi and the DAFC.

Friday, 13 December 2024 in Colombo

• Departure from Sri Lanka late Thursday evening or Friday morning.

Price

The total price for participation in the export delegation to Sri Lanka (Colombo) is 18,500 DKK excl. flight, hotel, and VAT per company for one representative after deduction of 50% subsidy from The Trade Council. The price for an extra representative is 3,000 DKK per person.

NOTE: The Danish company is free to have its local representatives represent your company in full during the event. On the registration form you can, if relevant, therefore add the contact information of the local participating person/company. However, only Danish companies in Denmark with a Danish CVR number can register for participation, and the invoice will always be issued in DKK to the Danish company address.

We reserve the right to offer you participation at a different price should any of the above criteria change. Should this result in a higher price than quoted, you have the right to cancel your participation. Other expenses not mentioned above are at own expense including visa, flights, dine & drink, and hotel.

NOTE: The price is based on 7 participating companies, who are all eligible for subsidy, and 50 percent subsidy (already granted) from the Trade Council of Denmark. If your company is not eligible for subsidy due to de-minimis issues (having received more than 1.5 million DKK in de-minimis subsidy within the past 3 years, including the present) you are binding yourself to pay the full price, meaning without the subsidy. The same conditions apply if you do not wish to receive subsidy.

Package includes

• Identification and tailored B2B matchmaking with Sri Lankan customers and partners, authorities, and relevant associations.
• Group transportation in Sri Lanka throughout the entire programme (excluding flights).
• Networking reception with identified customers and stakeholders.
• Networking dinner with a selected group of Sri Lankan stakeholders.
• General assistance from the Royal Danish Embassy and the Danish Agriculture & Food Council.

Registration

Please register at the link at the top no later than Friday 30 August 2024.

If you have any questions, please contact Mathias Sandholt Knauf, mskn@lf.dk -
+45 2336 9061.

Contact further information

Danish Agriculture & Food Council
Mathias Sandholt Knauf, Advisor
E-mail: mskn@lf.dk
Phone: +45 2336 9061

Royal Danish Embassy, New Delhi
Søren Nørrelund Kannik-Marquardsen
Minister Counsellor
E-mail: sorkan@um.dk
Direct Phone: +91-9560603223
Cell Phone: +91-9560603223

Royal Danish Embassy, New Delhi
Siddhartha Das
Trade Advisor – Agriculture and Food
E-mail: siddas@um.dk
Direct Phone: +91 98715 85007
Cell Phone: +91 98715 85007

Please be aware photography and video recording will take place during the event. The organizers may use these on various media channels. Please let us know if you do not want to be included.

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