Sri Lanka to produce ayurvedic drugs for export

Sri Lanka was set to enter the global medicinal drugs market by producing Ayurvedic drugs to international standards, Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation (ADC) Chairman Somaweera Chandrasiri said.

He said the demand for ayurvedic drugs was increasing and that there was huge potential for value added, high quality ayurvedic drugs in the international market. “We expect to construct a factory to manufacture ayurvedic drugs which would match global standards and adhere to quality guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO). The ADC has already taken steps to obtain a 420 acre block of land with the approval of the Cabinet for this purpose,” Mr. Chandrasiri said.

He added that the Treasury and the Peoples Bank would provide financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 110 million for the purpose. The ADC chairman revealed that they were exploring the possibility of exporting ayurvedic medicine to Australia and Japan, adding that drug samples had been sent for analysis to two countries. The ADC would produce ayurvedic drugs, concoctions, Arishta, Kulka, cosmetics and many other products in accordance with an ancient recipe (Vattoruwa) using medicinal raw materials found locally, he revealed. In addition the ADC would be setting up medicinal drug gardens and plantations to produce most of the raw materials needed to produce these ayurvedic drugs, he said.