A market brief each morning, plus company filings and news from across Sri Lanka's stock market. Filter by company, sector and theme, and use sentiment badges to quickly identify Positive or Negative news.
Brown & Company and LOLC Holdings partnered with the government (51% state, 49% private) to revive the long-idle Hingurana/Gal Oya sugar factory, rebuilding infrastructure and expanding into ethanol, power and bio-fertiliser. The operation now cultivates ~8,500 ha, employs ~1,300 directly and works with 8,000 farmers, supporting roughly 30,000 people and reducing sugar imports.
Cabinet approved an additional Rs2,500 million to the Paddy Marketing Board to finance ongoing procurement for the 2026 Yala season. Purchases have surged to 67,156 metric tons costing about Rs8,221 million (vs a 39,500t target) and the government says it can meet farmer payments.
The Tea Exporters Association held its 27th AGM and reappointed Huzefa Akbarally as chairman for 2026/27. TEA said about 85% of Ceylon Tea shipping routes have been disrupted and freight rates have risen several-fold, yet exports remain resilient and it urged government support to lift production toward 350 million kilos by 2030.
Woodland Tea Factory said its 'Woodland Grand' BOPA fetched a record Rs.3,000/kg at the Colombo Tea Auction on 8 Sept; the lot was bought by Shan Tea Ltd and marketed/sold by John Keells PLC.
New Rothschild Tea Factory, managed by Browns Plantations, achieved a record price of Rs. 2,950/kg for PEK1 (Western Medium) at the weekly tea auction on 8-9 Sept. The lot was auctioned by Ceylon Tea Brokers PLC and purchased by Vintage Teas Ceylon Ltd.
The Tea Exporters Association held its 27th AGM, reappointing Huzefa Akbarally as chairman and warning that about 85% of Ceylon Tea shipping routes have been disrupted with freight rates rising several-fold, yet exports remain resilient. TEA urged government support to boost smallholder production, restore brand promotion and export incentives and said the industry could reach 350 million kilos by 2030.
Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe will keynote the Planters' Association of Ceylon's 172nd AGM on 19 Sept, where regional plantation companies will review sector performance and strategies including diversification, replanting, processing upgrades and renewable energy investments.
Cabinet approved establishing a National Trade Negotiation Committee to review existing free trade agreements and guide future bilateral and regional deals, appointing the Trade Secretary as its chair and chief negotiator. It will create 12 subject-specific sub-committees and a Trade Policy Advisory Committee of experts and stakeholders.
The first commercial shipment of Sri Lankan fresh pineapples arrived in Karachi on 6 September 2026, marking new market access to Pakistan. Phytosanitary approvals were completed after cooperation between Sri Lanka and Pakistan authorities, opening opportunities for exporters and importers.
JICA and Sri Lanka's Agriculture Department will host 33 participants from 11 Asian countries from Sept 7-11 to showcase the SHEP smallholder horticulture approach, with study visits to the Dedicated Economic Center in Keppetipola and SHEP farmer groups in Nuwara Eliya to learn market-oriented practices.
FCCISL and Industry Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe agreed a roadmap to identify and incubate 1,000-5,000 scalable SMEs and drive 25% export growth. The three-year plan targets agriculture, ICT, logistics and value-added product sectors and includes an "SMEs Go Global" initiative to access international markets.
The Sri Lanka-Benelux Business Council held its 31st AGM where Dutch Ambassador Wiebe de Boer confirmed Sri Lanka's GSP+ access remains until 2029 and urged deeper EU ties including a potential FTA. Council president Farhath Amith (re-elected) urged Benelux support and highlighted renewable energy, floriculture, agro-processing, eco-tourism and healthcare as priority sectors.
Haycarb PLC distributed 35,786 free coconut seedlings to 784 farmers in Batticaloa and Ampara across 559 acres under a partnership with the Coconut Cultivation Board, and is targeting 65,000 seedlings by end-2026. The programme aims to support farmer livelihoods and strengthen Haycarb's coconut-shell raw material base for activated carbon production.
Government launches the 'Ceylon King Coconut Village' programme to establish 250 king coconut villages by 2028 (75 planned this year) to expand exports and capture a global king coconut products market the minister says could grow to about $10bn. The plan targets higher rural incomes, jobs and increased value-added processing and exports.
Sri Lanka urged farmers to complete sowing by Oct 15-25 for the 2026/27 Maha season, targeting about 830,000 hectares, after forecasts of above‑average Oct-Nov rains from El Niño and a sharp dry spell from January. Officials recommended early sowing, shorter paddy varieties, Alternate Wetting and Drying irrigation and shifting water‑deficit paddy to other field crops; fertilizer subsidies will remain available.
Dutch Ambassador Wiebe de Boer said the Benelux union could serve as a sandbox to boost Sri Lankan exporters' EU integration and link to the Port of Rotterdam, noting Sri Lanka's GSP+ access runs until 2029. He urged progress toward an EU FTA, flagged bureaucratic hurdles and named renewable energy, floriculture, agro‑processing, eco‑tourism and healthcare as priority collaboration sectors.
UNDP Sri Lanka and Visa launched a partnership to pilot financial inclusion in Hope Estate, Hewaheta, supporting 50 young agri-producers (mostly women) with financial‑literacy, digital payments training and assistance to open and use bank accounts over a seven-month programme.
EDB warns El Niño-driven dry conditions could add pressure to Sri Lanka's agriculture-linked exports, notably tea, vegetables and fruits, after tea export earnings fell 7.53% YoY to $817.53m in Jan-Jul 2026. The EDB is implementing the National Export Development Plan to diversify markets and products across eight priority sectors.
Forbes & Walker Research said the National Tea Sales Average for August 2026 was Rs. 1,174.46/kg, down Rs. 1.64 month-on-month and Rs. 7.81 below August 2025. The year-to-date NSA for Jan-Aug 2026 stood at Rs. 1,165.66/kg, Rs. 9.29 higher than the same period in 2025.
ProFood ProPack and AgBiz 2026 concluded at BMICH after three days (21-23 Aug), drawing nearly 30,000 visitors, about 450 stalls and international participation, and organisers say they will expand the venue for next year's edition.
Sri Lanka launched its first National Food Safety Policy, creating a risk-based national framework to strengthen food safety governance, surveillance, laboratory capacity, legislation and coordination across the food chain. The policy was developed by the Ministry of Health with technical support from FAO and the EU.
A 'Bridging Markets' seminar in Colombo on 19 Aug 2026 brought over 100 Sri Lankan exporters from apparel, handicrafts, ICT, boat building, gems, food and tea together with Hong Kong trade bodies (HKETO, InvestHK, HKTDC) and the EDB to explore trade, investment facilitation and international market expansion.
Sri Lanka's Cabinet approved signing a complementary adjustment agreement with Brazil to implement a sugarcane project, minister Nalinda Jayatissa said. The move builds on a 2008 technical cooperation pact and follows earlier Cabinet approval for project collaboration with Brazilian agencies and the Sugarcane Research Institute.
Sri Lanka's total exports reached a record $10.48 billion in Jan-Jul 2026, up 5.48% YoY, with services growth offsetting weakness in merchandise. At the current pace the country has achieved about 52% of its $20 billion 2026 export target.
Sri Lanka and Hong Kong held the "Bridging Markets" seminar and networking dinner on 19 Aug 2026 in Colombo, bringing together 100+ Sri Lankan exporters to explore trade and investment opportunities. Organised by HKETO, InvestHK and HKTDC with the EDB and NCCSL, the event targeted sectors including apparel, ICT/software, gems, food and tea and highlighted Hong Kong's role as a gateway to Mainland China.
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