Sri Lankan exporters in areas affected by Cyclone Ditwah are currently experiencing a shortage of raw materials for agricultural products and spices, according to Export Development Board (EDB) Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe.
At least 573 exporters have been identified as having been impacted by the recent disaster. “The majority are from the Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam, Kurunegala, and Kandy districts,” Wijesinghe said at a media briefing in Colombo.
“They are facing challenges in transportation and a lack of raw materials, especially for export agricultural goods and spices. Issues with sourcing raw materials persist,” he explained. Wijesinghe added that the EDB is still assessing the extent of the damage. Once the assessment is complete, the government plans to collaborate with relevant authorities to address post-disaster challenges faced by exporters.
Cyclone Ditwah, which struck in late November 2025 as the most severe storm to hit Sri Lanka in a century, caused widespread floods and landslides across the island’s central highlands and southern regions. The disaster severely disrupted the agricultural sector and threatened Sri Lanka’s key export commodities, including spices.
Spices such as cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg—exports valued at over $500 million annually and concentrated in flood-prone districts like Matale and Kandy—suffered significant losses, with crops damaged or destroyed across thousands of hectares.
Processing facilities have also been damaged, and supply chains disrupted due to impassable roads and damaged bridges. These challenges are expected to result in quality degradation, delayed harvests, and reduced global shipments, potentially compounding market pressures caused by the inferior re-exports that occurred earlier in the year.
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