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Continuing economic growth; increasing tourism; a healthy hotel, restaurant, and institutional sector; and a growing population will lead the UAE’s wheat and rice consumption to grow in the 2025-2026 marketing year (MY).

Sri Lanka’s economic situation is improving and key agricultural inputs like fertilizers and agrochemicals are available in the market although they remain expensive. Rice production is expected to continue on a recovery path. Rice imports are...

For marketing year (MY) 2025/26, Post forecasts a slight increase in cotton imports due to increasing demand in the ready-made garments industry.

For marketing year (MY) 2025/26, Post forecasts lower rice imports than in MY 2024/25, assuming higher production based on favorable weather. Demand for wheat continues to increase and Post forecasts slightly higher imports for MY 2025/26 to align with demand.

The installation of Bangladesh’s Interim Government in August 2024, has led to a renewed focus on macroeconomic stability, which will enable increased exports to the market as restrictions on Letters of Credit ease as foreign currency reserves stabilize.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka’s (Sri Lanka) Ministry of Health and Mass Media extended the implementation effective date of the Food (Trans Fat) Regulations (2022) from January 1, 2025 to July 1, 2025.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka’s (Sri Lanka) Ministry of Health and Mass Media extended the implementation effective date of the Food (Color Coding for Sugar Levels-Liquids) Regulations (2022) from January 1, 2025 to July 1, 2025.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka’s (Sri Lanka) Ministry of Health and Mass Media extended the implementation date of Food (Labeling and Advertising) Regulations (2022) from January 1, 2025 to July 1, 2025, except Regulations 13 (16), 13 (17), 13 (18), and 14.

For the marketing year (MY) 2024/25, Post lowers rice harvested area and production to 11.4 million hectares and 36.6 million metric tons (MT), respectively, due to an estimated loss of around 300,000 hectares of aman season rice from two consecutive floods in August and October 2024.

The United Arab Emirates, the Arab world's second-largest economy, will continue to offer growing and dynamic market opportunities for U.S. exporters in the food service--hotel, restaurant, and institutional sector through the end of 2024 and beyond.

The UAE promotes biotechnology through a research ecosystem focused on innovation. Notable advances center on plant biotechnology such as quinoa and salicornia, in addition to the date palm.

Sri Lanka’s agricultural biotechnology policies remain unchanged. Over the past year, there has been no progress in the approval of its draft Biosafety Act, which establishes a system to protect biodiversity, the environment and human, plant and animal health while minimizing the risks of biotechnology.