Dilani Hirimuthugodage Stresses the Significance of a Geographical Indication System for Sri Lanka

5 December 2023

Dilani Hirimuthugodage, Research Economist, IPS, highlighted the importance of implementing a Geographical Indication (GI) system in Sri Lanka. During a training and awareness workshop for officers from the office of the Deputy Provincial Director of Agriculture (Kurunegala), she shed light on the process of GI registration, drawing examples from international best practices.

In her presentation titled “Geographical Indication (GI) System in Sri Lanka,” Hirimuthugodage discussed the economic and social advantages associated with a GI system. Notably, she delved into the specifics of the GI registration process and provided insights into the current status of the local GI application for the “Ceylon Golden Pineapple”, a product selected from Kurunegala, Gampaha, Colombo, Kalutara, and Kegalle Districts for the GI system application. The initiative is part of the Technical Cooperation Project by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), aiming to establish a GI system in Sri Lanka.

The training and awareness workshop, organised by the Development of Minor Export Crops Plantation Division of the Ministry of Plantation Industries, brought together around fifty agriculture officers in Kurunegala District. The event took place at the Sadissa Reception Hall in Kuliyapitiya, Kurunegala.