Sri Lanka participated at the GIC 2019 - Food and Beverage Sector International Exhibition, which is one of the most popular professional food and beverage sector exhibitions in Canada. GIC is visited by several thousand buyers, buying agents, importers, food sector distributors, experts, wholesalers, and retailers.
The event was held in Toronto from 22 to 23 October 2019. Sri Lanka’s national participation was coordinated by the High Commission in Ottawa and the Consulate General in Toronto together with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Export Development Board (EDB), and Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka was represented at GIC 2019, by EDB together with Bio Foods (Pvt) Ltd, Ceylon Biscuits Ltd, Food and Nature (Pvt) Ltd, Hero Nature Products (Pvt) Ltd, Kandrick Tea Beverages Lanka, Waguruwela Oil Mills (Pvt) Ltd, Samanala Natural Foods (Pvt) Ltd, Sayaladu Coco (Pvt) Ltd, and Jayalanka Suppliers
High Commissioner in Canada Asoka Girihagama and Consul General Kaplia Jayaweera graced the inaugural session and interacted with the participants. Value added food products, tea, virgin coconut oil, coconut flour, coconut protein, and biscuits were displayed at the Sri Lanka pavilion.
The Sri Lankan delegation participated at the Market Orientation Programme, which consisted of a Market Familiarization Tour prior to the exhibition, in order to explore the Canadian retail markets and consumer trends and at the information session on the Canadian market, organized by the Consulate and EDB.
B2B meetings were arranged with leading buyers such as Costco, Loblaws, Longos, and CTS in Canada during the GIC exhibition which ensured exhibitors to establish useful trade contacts and to receive orders for their products through the new business links made.
