Reduction in Sri Lanka's export revenues from vegetables and fruits

At the beginning of the current year, Sri Lanka's agricultural exports demonstrated a significant increase. For the first quarter, covering the period from January to March, revenue from overseas vegetable supplies rose to USD 7.63 million, which exceeded the figure for the same period of 2025 (USD 5.51 million) by 38.48 percent. Fruit sales also showed a 32.04 percent growth, increasing from USD 9.05 million to USD 11.95 million.

However, the conflicts in the Middle East that began in late February led to disruptions in the operation of local hotels and stores, causing demand for Sri Lankan fruit and vegetable produce to drop. In addition, the war complicated export routes to the Middle East and further to Europe. According to the Export Development Board, the main buyers of Sri Lankan vegetables (fresh and processed) and fruits (fresh, dried, or frozen) are precisely the Middle Eastern region and the European Union countries.

As a result of the crisis, the positive momentum gave way to a decline. By the end of the first seven months of the year, vegetable exports contracted by 14.66 percent (to USD 17.64 million compared to USD 20.67 million in 2025), and fruit exports by 12.28 percent (to USD 23.78 million against USD 27.11 million a year earlier).

Over nine months of the year, the negative trend intensified. For the period from January to September, revenue from vegetable exports decreased by 19.95 percent to USD 22.11 million (in 2025 — USD 27.62 million). Export earnings from fruits over the same period fell by 20.22 percent, totaling USD 29.83 million compared to USD 37.39 million in the first nine months of the previous year.