An overview of Sri Lankan Ginger Export Market and Prevailing Barriers for Exports

Abstract

Ginger is an economically important crop in Sri Lanka and considered as an export agricultural crop with a high potential for further improvement. The demand for Sri Lankan ginger has increased continuously due to unique flavor and aroma. The main objective of this research was to analyze the present situation of Sri Lankan ginger export market and prevailing barriers for exports. Primary data were collected from the total population of ginger exporters in Sri Lanka and purposively selected twenty five ginger growers in Kandy and Gampaha districts. Structure - Conduct - Performance paradigm was used to analyze the present situation of Sri Lankan ginger export market. The result revealed that representation of Sri Lankan ginger in the world export market of ginger is only about 0.1%. China is the major competitor for Sri Lanka while major importer of Sri Lankan ginger is the United States of America. Dry ginger is the highest demanded ginger product and all the ginger products are exported under the brand name of 'Sri Lanka'. The results also revealed that the major market barriers to export Sri Lankan ginger are variety problems, shortage of supply, quality issues, less diversified products and high price.