Sri Lankaโs most comprehensive food and packaging International trade fair the Profood Propack & Agbiz 2019 expo launched Friday 2 August has recorded 25% more visitors in comparison to last year, beating all present concerns of safety and security surrounding such public events in the country.
โMore than 300 exhibitors from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and China are taking part at this yearโs eventโ said Minister of Industry, Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Cooperative Development, Skills Development & Vocational Training Rishad Bathiudeen after visiting the event on 4 August. โThe 18th edition also shows that this event is increasingly becoming one of the largest food, beverages, packaging and agri-business related events in South Asiaโโ he said and added: โOriginally commenced by our Ministry in 2001, it has now become a platform for networking by the local and international participants from these sectors.โ
The 18th in the series has 300 exhibitor stalls with an India pavilion for 67 Indian firms. Despite safety concerns visitor numbers have surged by 25% compared to last year, to total 20000 by mid-day 4 August. The expo also has 7 Chinese and even Bangladeshi firms. Indian food and agri-multinationals such as Goma Process Technologies, and Vibgyor International are part of this expo. All major Lankan brands in food processing and packaging โincluding Cargills, Bairaha, CBL Foods International, CIC, Darley, Harischandra Mills, Hayleys, Jagro, MAโs Tropical Food etc-are also part of the expo. Vice Prersident Marketing of Goma Process Technologies Srinivas Sondur said that despite safety concerns surrounding after Easter Sunday bombings, Goma Process Technologies, the leading brand in India for liquid food machinery processing supplies such as yoghurt and milk products, โis pleased to join the Colombo expoโโ. โWe have been coming to this series for the last eight years and in our view the bombings were only a passing situationโ said Sonduur, and added: โWe have no worries in coming to Sri Lanka and will continue to come even in future. We are a leading supplier to local companies in liquid food machinery processing and have supplied to 40 Sri Lankan companies already. Despite the safety concerns, our orders this year in Colombo have not fallen except for one or two categoriesโ he said. The privately held Goma Process Technologies was established in 1982 and is now one top three process technology suppliers in India.
Leader of All Ceylon Makkal Congress