Sri Lanka aims to make rubber a $3 billion industry
11 Oct 2013 by Evoluted New Media
ERJ staff report (BC)
Colombo – Sri Lanka aims to grow its rubber industry value to $3 billion (€2.2 billion) from the current $1.2 billion (€0.88 billion), Sudharma Karunaratne, [permanent] secretary to the ministry of plantation industries, said at a meeting of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries.
She said a plan is to do so is being prepared with the Asian Development Bank. Sri Lanka's industry has a 200 000 workforce with the rubber growing sector dominated by smallholders, she said.
Karunaratne added that Sri Lanka has become a source of solid rubber tires for much of Asia.