Sri Lanka Coffee Festival returns to highlands

• Celebrates 200 years of coffee 

The Export Agriculture Department, in collaboration with Australia’s Market Development Facility (MDF) and Lanka Coffee Association (LCA), successfully hosted the fourth annual Sri Lanka Coffee Festival recently in Kandy. 

The event celebrated 200 years of coffee in Sri Lanka, with the Export Agriculture Department launching an official commemorative stamp. The event also announced a memorandum of understanding between the Export Agriculture Department and Australia’s MDF to develop a roadmap to further develop Sri Lanka’s emerging specialty coffee sector.  

The festival was attended by coffee farmers, roasters, retailers, coffee enthusiasts and other key stakeholders.

This year’s festival marked a new chapter in public-private collaboration, as the Export Agriculture Department merged its annual Coffee Day celebrations with the LCA-MDF flagship event, the LCA Sri Lanka Coffee Festival. 

Agriculture Department Director General Dr. Thushara Wickramarachchi, Governor of Central Province Prof. Sarath Abeykoom and several other government stakeholders were guests of honour at the festival and reflected the growing government interest in the sector’s revival.

Export Agriculture Department Director General Damayanthi Samarasinghe stated, “Through this partnership, with MDF and the LCA we aim to expand high-quality production and develop a national roadmap that will help us unlock new trade and investment opportunities, including stronger linkages with markets like Australia.”

Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Lalita Kapur, also a chief guest, shared, “The Australian government is proud to support Sri Lanka in its goal to increase inclusive economic growth.”

The festival included interactive panel discussions, a hands-on barista training and live demonstrations of brewing techniques by experts. 

The Export Agriculture Department also gave out prizes for several categories, including Best Farmer and Best Processor and awarded the winners of a coffee art competition for schoolchildren. 

The festival participants also had the chance to savour the island’s best brews at a special coffee tasting expo, featuring a variety of locally grown specialty coffee.  

LCA Chairperson Kushan Samararatne stated that coffee culture is on the rise and explained that Sri Lanka is emerging as a serious specialty coffee growing nation.