The National Organic Control Unit (NOCU) of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) continued its mission to elevate Sri Lanka’s organic agriculture sector by successfully conducting the third phase of its 2025 national awareness programme at Riveria Resort - Batticaloa on 08th July. The awareness seminar follows the earlier programs held in Jaffna and Matale that were highly beneficial to the participants. The one-day awareness programme contained expert presentations and stakeholder discussions and drew over 75 participants from the Eastern Province, including farmers, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders in the organic value chain.
The occasion featured a comprehensive set of lectures by subject matter experts, offering practical and policy-level insights into the organic agriculture ecosystem. Prof S. Sutharsan, Head of the Department of Crop Science at the Faculty of Agriculture - Eastern University, started the proceedings of the seminar by making the opening remarks while the technical sessions of the event began with the presentation by Ms. Vinoka Perera – Assistant Director, NOCU - on “Principles of Organic Agriculture and Organic Farming Practices.” The participants got the opportunity to obtain valuable knowledge on organic food processing methods by Mr. Lasith Jayawardana, Export Promotion Officer – NOCU, and they were also made aware of the market potential and latest trends associated with the organic agricultural exports by the EDB Assistant Director Ms. Madhurika Manikpura. In view of the important role played by online platforms in terms of reaching global consumers in the modern era, Mr. Nadarajah Pirashanthan Executive Officer - Commercial Bank, educated the audience about digital marketing for organic products.
The afternoon session was devoted to disseminate information about the regulatory and certification landscape of the organic farming in Sri Lanka. The attendees were made of aware of the Sri Lankan Organic Standard (SLS 1324:2018) as well as the organic certification procedure in the country via the presentations of Ms. Vinoka Perera and Mr. Sanjiv Manchanaike, Managing Director of Ceycert (Pvt) Ltd. The programme concluded with an engaging interactive discussion session, followed by the closing remarks of the EDB Deputy Director Mr. P.M.M. Zameem.
To ensure the effectiveness of the awareness seminar, all the presentations were conducted together with real-time Tamil translation, enabling the participants to fully engage with the content. Ms. P. Mathurangani, a temporary Assistant Lecturer attached to Eastern University provided translation services throughout the proceedings.
NOCU stands committed to build national capacity by delivering knowledge, strengthening certification systems, and promoting sustainable practices with the goal of positioning Sri Lanka as a trusted source of organic products in global markets. Detailed and comprehensive information about Sri Lanka’s organic standards and certifications can be obtained from NOCU’s website - www.nocu.lk
