{"id":11066,"date":"2026-02-13T11:44:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T10:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shams-alyaoum.com\/en\/?p=11066"},"modified":"2026-02-13T11:44:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T10:44:10","slug":"gulfood-2026-spotlight-sri-lankas-bid-to-strengthen-its-global-food-footprint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shams-alyaoum.com\/en\/gulfood-2026-spotlight-sri-lankas-bid-to-strengthen-its-global-food-footprint\/","title":{"rendered":"Gulfood 2026 Spotlight: Sri Lanka\u2019s Bid to Strengthen Its Global Food Footprint"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span lang=\"EN\">Sri Lanka used Gulfood 2026 as a platform to sharpen its export strategy and broaden regional access. According to Janak Badugama, Director \u2013 Export Agriculture at the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), the participation helped elevate quality-led products, empower SMEs, and accelerate growth across the Middle East.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><span lang=\"EN\">How does Sri Lanka\u2019s participation at Gulfood 2026 reflect the country\u2019s strategy to grow its food and beverage exports in the MEASA region?<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">Sri Lanka\u2019s participation at Gulfood 2026 reflects a deliberate strategy to expand its presence in the MEASA region by showcasing premium, value-added food and beverage products. With a focus on innovation, quality, and sustainability, the pavilion demonstrates how Sri Lanka is positioning itself as a reliable supplier to meet the evolving demands of regional buyers, while opening pathways to new markets across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><span lang=\"EN\">With 61 companies participating this year, including many SMEs and first-time exporters, how is Sri Lanka supporting the internationalization of smaller businesses?<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">The pavilion provides SMEs and first-time exporters with a platform to connect directly with international buyers, build visibility, and enter high-growth markets. Through EDB initiatives such as pre-fair training, market intelligence, and partial cost support, smaller companies can present innovative products alongside established exporters, gain confidence in global trade practices, and establish relationships that can evolve into long-term partnerships. This approach is also shaping Sri Lanka\u2019s preparation for Gulfood 2027, ensuring that the country continues to strengthen its export ecosystem and supports SMEs in scaling up for global engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><span lang=\"EN\">How do value-added and innovative products, such as premium coconut-based items and herbal beverages, distinguish Sri Lanka in a competitive global market?<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">Value-added products like premium coconut derivatives, herbal beverages, and ready-to-eat meals highlight Sri Lanka\u2019s shift from commodity exports toward market-driven, branded solutions. These innovations allow Sri Lankan companies to differentiate themselves by offering high-quality, authentic, and sustainable products that meet international consumer preferences for health, convenience, and traceability, giving the country a competitive edge in global markets.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><span lang=\"EN\">What are Sri Lanka\u2019s key performance targets at Gulfood 2026, and how will success be measured in terms of trade and business outcomes?<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">Sri Lanka has set clear performance targets at Gulfood 2026, including securing USD 20-30 million in trade, connecting with 30-40 international buyers, introducing 10\u201315 new products, and helping 8-10 SMEs access the MEASA market for the first time. Success will be measured through confirmed orders, inquiries demonstrating genuine buyer interest, new market opportunities, and the establishment of long-term trade relationships that extend beyond the exhibition.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><span lang=\"EN\">How does Sri Lanka EDB leverage trade exhibitions like Gulfood to diversify markets and strengthen long-term buyer partnerships?<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span lang=\"EN\">Trade exhibitions like Gulfood provide a unique opportunity for Sri Lankan exporters to engage directly with regional and global buyers, demonstrate product quality, and build trust in the Sri Lanka brand. By combining live product demonstrations, business matchmaking, and branding initiatives under the \u201cBrand Sri Lanka\u201d narrative, EDB helps exporters diversify markets, create repeatable supply relationships, and strengthen long-term partnerships in strategic regions, laying the groundwork for an even more targeted and impactful presence at Gulfood 2027.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sri Lanka used Gulfood 2026 as a platform to sharpen its export strategy and broaden regional access. According to Janak Badugama, Director \u2013 Export Agriculture at the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), the participation helped elevate quality-led products, empower SMEs, and accelerate growth across the Middle East. How does Sri Lanka\u2019s participation at Gulfood &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11067,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[9,1338,1310,1400],"class_list":["post-11066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","tag-business","tag-consumer","tag-general","tag-manufacturing"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Gulfood 2026 Spotlight: Sri Lanka\u2019s Bid to Strengthen Its Global Food Footprint - Magazine Shams Al Yaoum<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/shams-alyaoum.com\/en\/gulfood-2026-spotlight-sri-lankas-bid-to-strengthen-its-global-food-footprint\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gulfood 2026 Spotlight: Sri Lanka\u2019s Bid to Strengthen Its Global Food Footprint - Magazine Shams Al Yaoum\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sri Lanka used Gulfood 2026 as a platform to sharpen its export strategy and broaden regional access. 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