SLCC to supply cashew nuts to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation (SLCC) will supply cashew nuts to SriLankan airlines from next month, SLCC Chairman Damsiri Bandara Karunaratne said today.

Quality of the cashew nuts served on SriLankan flights came up for scrutiny after President Maithripala Sirisena remarked on the quality of the cashew nuts served to him on a Colombo-bound flight.

Mr. Karunaratne said SriLankan purchased cashew nuts from SLCC until 2016 but the airlines had later decided to purchase it from a Dubai-based supplier at a lower price.

He said following a discussion with the Public Enterprise & Kandy City Development Minister Lakshman Kiriella it had been decided to resume the supply of cashew nuts to the airline.

“Local cashew has a large market, especially in Europe. SriLankan cashew is known as the queen of nuts and is considered to be a high-quality product. The Cashew Corporation is always keen to supply high-quality cashew nuts to the local and international market. Because of the quality, our prices may be high compared to other imported nuts,” Mr Karunaratne said.

However, the purchasing price of the cashew nuts to SriLankan is yet to be negotiated.

He had silenced even a family member with an angry retort when the latter tried to hold a brief for those under fire, they say.