Australia’s Market Development Facility (MDF) and Sri Lanka’s Department of Export Agriculture (DEA) have signed a deal to develop Sri Lanka’s specialty coffee industry.
The partnership aims to create a roadmap for Sri Lanka’s coffee sector, outline the gaps in the market, and introduce key action points based on the current status of the nation’s coffee industry.
“MDF will also work with the DEA to improve the quality of coffee processing, conduct sector-relevant training and share MDF developed training modules with farmers and processors,” says Lalita Kapur, Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.
“Australia has been a committed supporter of Sri Lanka’s coffee journey since 2017 through MDF. It’s been a long but rewarding road and we’re so pleased see the sector gaining greater recognition with each passing year.”
The DEA, MDF and Lanka Coffee Association (LCA) showcased their support for one another at the fourth Sri Lanka Coffee Festival in Kandy in July.
The festival celebrated 200 years of coffee in the country and announced the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Australia and Sri Lanka. The event was attended by local farmers, roasters, retailers, coffee enthusiasts, and other key stakeholders in the industry.
The MoU, according to the MDF, aims to unite all levels of the Sri Lankan coffee industry by working with the DEA to help improve the quality of coffee processing, conduct sector-relevant training, and share MDF developed training modules with farmers and processors.
The MDF employs a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach to promote sustainable economic development in seven partner countries around the world, including Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, and Fiji.
