Sri Lanka's climate is very suitable for the production of sea cucumber, which facilitates Sri Lanka's export to China. China is investing in the construction of sea cucumber farms in Sri Lanka. As early as 2016, GUILAN Ltd, a Chinese joint venture, established an artificial breeding sea cucumber hatchery in Ariyalai village near Jaffna port in Sri Lanka to provide facilities for further production of sea cucumbers.

In 2021 alone, Sri Lanka exported about 336 tons of sea cucumber, and China is the largest buyer. In June 2022, the Cabinet of the Government of Sri Lanka approved a proposal to establish a large-scale commercial sea cucumber breeding project covering 5000 acres in the northern and eastern regions of Sri Lanka, including Jaffna, Manar, Kilinochchi and Batticaloa.