A commemorative stamp and first-day cover to mark 200 years of coffee cultivation!
A National Coffee Conference was held in Kandy today (08) to mark 200 years of coffee cultivation in the country.
The conference was held with the participation of the Department of Export Agriculture, the Sri Lanka Coffee Association and the Australian High Commission.
The Director General of Export Agriculture, Mrs. Damayanthi Samarasinghe, said that coffee is cultivated in an area of 5000 hectares in the country and a harvest of 3300 metric tons is obtained annually. She also stated that about 400 metric tons of the crop is exported, earning a foreign exchange of Rs. 1508 million.
Prizes were also presented to the winners of a painting competition held among school children on coffee cultivation.
Central Province Governor Professor S.B.S. Abhayakoon, Kandy District Member of Parliament Thanura Dissanayake, Australian Deputy High Commissioner Lalita Kapoor, and Lanka Coffee Association President Thushan Samararatne, among others, attended the conference.
– Nadeeka Daya Bandara
