News & market updates

Ceylon Cold Stores PLC (CCS) launched Elephant House Ice Cream in Australia on 4 December 2025 and began local manufacturing in Melbourne—the first time CCS has produced the brand outside Sri Lanka. The launch, held with partner Millennium Imports Pty Ltd, targets wider distribution beyond the Sri Lankan diaspora.

John Keells (Keells Supermarkets) won the Meta Reels Impact Award for an AI-generated campaign that drove a 44.72% surge in doughnut sales and lifted the Prepared Food category by 25%. The campaign, created with Enfection, won the South East Asia regional award for generative-AI reels.

Russel’s (Pvt) Ltd will offer a traditional Kiribath New Year 2026 menu including kiribath with lunu miris and a range of traditional sweets, prepared with locally sourced ingredients, hygiene standards and marketed at fair prices.

Prima launched a festive product range including four Prima KottuMee Korean Ramen Cup flavours (Fiery Chicken, Fiery Cheese, Masala Chicken, Seafood), Prima Pastarita Pasta and Prima Sunrise Red Velvet Swiss Rolls, available nationwide in stores and online.

Daraz Sri Lanka will run a Jingle Sale from Dec 19–31 offering free delivery, up to 85% off and Rs. 80 million in vouchers. Customers can unlock extra savings (up to 15%) with select banks including Commercial Bank, Sampath, NDB, Nations Trust and via LOLC's KOKO BNPL (up to 12%).

Cargills Bank launched the ‘Tapit’ contactless sticker card and is offering festive discounts with 100+ merchants plus year‑round savings including discounts at Cargills Food City.

IMF and officials say Cyclone Ditwah will likely cause a temporary GDP hit in 2026, probably concentrated in one quarter, with reconstruction expected to partly offset the output loss but push short-term inflation and widen the current account. Some distilleries were reported flooded, hurting production and revenues.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said Sri Lanka will pay farmers up to Rs2 million for lost cross-bred cattle after Cyclone Ditwah and has sought parliamentary approval for an extra Rs500 billion for cyclone relief in 2026. Payments include Rs200,000 per cross-bred cow (capped at 10), Rs50,000 per local cow (up to 20) and Rs20,000 per pig/goat/sheep (up to 20).

Sri Lanka will pay 150,000 rupees per damaged hectare to rice farmers as a non-financial 'pain of mind' compensation after Cyclone Ditwah; vegetable/fruit farmers will receive 200,000 rupees/ha and spice growers 250 rupees per creeper.

Government will compensate cyclone-hit chicken farmers Rs.500 per dead layer (up to 2,000 birds) and Rs.250 per dead broiler (up to 4,000 birds), capped at Rs.1 million per farmer. Cyclone Ditwah is estimated to have killed 500,000 layers and 1.4 million broilers, risking short-term shortages and price rises.

Arpico's NextGen mattress (Arpitech / Richard Pieris group) won 2nd Runner-Up for Innovative Product of the Year at the 2025 PRISL Industry Awards. The mattress features profile-cut air-cooling pocket technology and was built using German CNC foam-cutting equipment.

Pyramid Wilmar donated LKR 50 million to the Presidential Secretariat to support flood and landslide relief and recovery efforts following Cyclone Ditwah.

Varna Ltd secured 10 national awards in 2025, the most by any Sri Lankan flexible-packaging company, after investing in modern manufacturing technology and consolidating 98% ownership under Pursuit Investments to support global expansion and higher-quality, export-ready packaging.

Aitken Spence PLC's Conventions & Exhibitions unit inaugurated the 40th Colombo Shopping Festival at BMICH, running until 21 December with over 250 local entrepreneurs participating. Commercial Bank of Ceylon is the official banking partner and ticket proceeds will support families affected by recent disasters.

FAO and Sri Lanka’s Department of Agriculture maps show about 58,340 hectares of paddy in Trincomalee and Batticaloa were affected by floods from Cyclone Ditwah. The maps also show damage to vegetables and other field crops across major agricultural districts, threatening smallholder livelihoods and household food security as FAO works with authorities on assessment and recovery.

ADB launched a $40 million emergency Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program facility to help Sri Lanka import food, medicines and relief supplies after Cyclone Ditwah. The funds, backed by Munich Re and Swiss Re, will be channeled through six partner banks for rapid delivery.

Maharaja Foods PLC: Dr. T. Senthilverl sold 10 million shares at Rs.13 to exit his holding, and Yaden Capital has acquired a 10% stake. Senthilverl held 12.676 million shares (10.14%) as at 30 Sept 2025 and was the second-largest shareholder.

Sri Lanka's ASPI fell 0.17% to 22,292.57 (down 37.12 points) with turnover of 2.3 billion rupees. Yaden raised its stake in Maharaja Foods to 10.04%; HNB will list debentures offering 10.25% and 11% on Dec 19; HDFC appointed K B Wijeyratne as chairman pro-tem; United Motors set a 10-for-1 share split date; JKH, CTC, BUKI and DFCC were top gainers.

Velona marks its 85th anniversary and is launching Venus by Velona, a super-premium sanitary napkin range (including Sri Lanka’s first Teen/Tween pad); the brand also highlights baby-care products, flood-relief CSR distributions, and an upcoming digital education series on special needs.

Link Natural Products was awarded Best Exporter – Herbal & Ayurveda Products Category at the 27th Presidential Export Awards for the 2024/25 financial year. Its flagship product Link Samahan is sold in over 30 countries and in major international retail chains.

Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC was named 'Best Exporter – Beverages' at the 27th Presidential Export Awards 2024/25, with its export arm reporting 64% year-on-year growth.

Ceylon Biscuits Limited launched its biscuits, chocolates and snacks in Saudi Arabia through a partnership with Aamalcom Trading at a Riyadh event on 10 December 2025. The Sri Lankan Ambassador noted Sri Lanka’s exports to Saudi Arabia rose 19% Jan–Sep 2025 and said the tie-up is expected to further boost exports.

Colombo market closed flat as the ASPI slipped 0.02% to 22,329.69 with turnover of Rs. 3.32 billion; top negatives were Commercial Bank, DFCC, Richard Pieris, Bukit Darah and John Keells while Carson Cumberbatch, Browns Investments and LOLC Finance provided support.

Oceanpick was named a Top 5 finalist in the UNIDO ONE World Sustainability Awards (Sustainable Supply Chains) on 24 November 2025 in Riyadh, recognised for sustainable, traceable oceanic barramundi farming and community impact in Trincomalee.

Cabinet approved milling and release of 49.5 million kilos of paddy purchased in the Yala season (procured for Rs. 5,949 million) into the domestic market. PMB stocks will be milled by PMB-registered private mills and distributed via Lak Sathosa and cooperative outlets, with the government considering concessional pricing and urging traders to keep staple rice prices reasonable.

Barista Sri Lanka launched a Christmas menu featuring the returning Toffee Nut range, gingerbread drinks, festive desserts and savouries, and will donate 10% of Christmas Menu revenue to SOS Children’s Villages Sri Lanka. The menu is available in December at all 77 outlets and via PickMe and Uber Eats.

Varna Limited became the only flexible-packaging company in Sri Lanka to win 10 national awards in 2025. The company attributes the performance to technology and manufacturing upgrades and consolidation under Pursuit Investments, positioning it for export-focused growth.

Colombo market recovered as the ASPI rose 0.17% (38.48 pts) to 22,333.25 and the S&P SL20 gained 0.31% to 6,071.12. Turnover was Rs 2.85bn on ~77.2m shares with foreign net outflows of Rs 42.8m; top contributors included DOCK, COMB, SAMP, MELS and DFCC.