Sri Lanka’s Processed-Food Exports Grow 34%. Who’s Moving the Product?

Sri Lanka’s processed-food exports reached US$243.28 million during January–September 2026, up 34.19% on the same period last year. The wider food and beverage sector grew 20.9% to US$526.31 million, while non-alcoholic beverage exports jumped 46.78%.

The rate of processed-food growth has eased from 44% at mid-year, but 34% remains a strong result, particularly when Sri Lanka’s total exports grew only 5.04%. This suggests value-added food is gaining ground faster than the country’s overall export economy.

The Export Development Board does not disclose company-by-company contributions, so we cannot say precisely who generated the increase. We can, however, see which manufacturers have the products, certifications and overseas channels capable of supporting it.

Company and brands	Products moving offshore	Disclosed markets and reach
DIMO Agribusinesses - MIDITER	Organic dehydrated fruit, virgin coconut oil and other coconut products; own-brand and private-label supply	More than 10 countries, including Australia, China, Germany, Poland, the UK and US.
CBL Group - Munchee, Ritzbury, Tiara, Lanka Soy and Sera	Biscuits, chocolate, wafers, cakes, textured soy, cereals, dried fruit and coconut milk	More than 65 markets; operations in Bangladesh, Ghana and India, with a new distribution platform in Kenya serving East Africa.
HJS Condiments - Hayleys	Gherkins, pickled vegetables, jackfruit, processed fruit, coconut foods and plant-based meal components	52 countries, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand and European markets; supplies retailers and international foodservice customers.
Derana Foods	More than 380 products covering curries, sambols, chutneys, sauces, pickles, rice foods, spices and sweets	Australia, New Zealand, UK, Sweden, South Korea, US and Kuwait.
Perera & Sons	Frozen savouries, roti, rolls, patties, bakery products, cakes and traditional sweets	Established customers in Australia and the US, with trade records also indicating Canada and New Zealand.
Link Natural - Samahan	Herbal functional beverages and wellness products	More than 30 countries, including Australia, Canada, India, Japan, New Zealand, the UK and US, plus Europe and the Middle East. Channels include Costco Japan, Lulu and Amazon.
SMR Consolidated - Coco Organic	Virgin, refined and conventional coconut oils, coconut flour and private-label formats	More than 60 countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas; Coco Organic is sold in eight markets.

What stands out is the variety of routes being used. Derana and Perera & Sons are building from diaspora demand. CBL and Link Natural are taking Sri Lankan brands into mainstream retail. MIDITER, HJS and SMR are also working through private label, foodservice and ingredient supply.

Australia sits across almost every model. It is already a disclosed market for MIDITER, Derana, Perera & Sons, HJS and Samahan, while Sri Lanka’s first pavilion at Fine Food Australia gave newer exporters a direct buyer-development platform.

Sri Lanka is still known internationally for tea, cinnamon and coconuts. These numbers show the more commercially interesting shift that the country is increasingly exporting formulated, packaged and buyer-ready food, not simply the raw material behind it.

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