Spice producers hail President’s pepper re-export ban

The Spices & Allied Products Producers’ & Traders’ Association (SAPPTA) yesterday hailed President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to ban re-export of pepper.

“The  Spices & Allied Products Producers’ & Traders’ Association is very happy  to learn from the media that President Sirisena has directed that the re-export of pepper from Sri Lanka would be banned from February 10, 2018,” SAPPTA Chairman Vernon Abeyratne said in a brief note. `Sirisena speaking at a UPFA election rally on Sunday said re-export of imported tea and pepper would be stopped from February 10, 2018, the same day local government elections are scheduled to be held.

Sirisena went on to say that famers were losing money and the country’s image was getting tarnished with the exporters importing substandard tea and pepper to mix with the local produce and re-exporting them.