Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatics Resources Development will open a Sea Cucumber farm to cater to the international market, the Ministry said. Demand for Sea Cucumber in international market is growing even though it is not much popularized among the Sri Lankan community. The price of one kilogram of Sea Cucumber in the international market garners a value of Rs 20 000-30 000. Sea Cucumbers are considered a delicacy in the East and a majority of sea cucumber importers and consumers are Far Eastern markets like China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, Japan and Malaysia. Accordingly, the first and largest Sea Cucumber breeding center of government ownership will be commenced under the directives of Fisheries Minister on 25th this month in Olaithuduwa, Mannar. The project aims to popularize the formal Sea Cumber farming in Sri Lanka with a view to delivering foreign exchange earnings to the fishermen community and to the national economy, the Ministry said. The government will fully fund the proposed Sea Cucumber Breeding Centre at an estimated cost of Rs 185 million. Minister Amaraweera, expressing his views regarding the project said the government expects to excel the fisheries industry to the first or second position of Sri Lankan exports by the year 2020. Export income earned by fish exports in last year is Rs 1.2 billion and it is expected to be increased up to 1.3 billion by 2020 and 5 billion by 2030. The government has identified the importance of developing fisheries industry to achieve this goal, Minister Amaraweera said.