Small-Scale Agribusiness Conference concludes on successful note

The Small-Scale Agribusiness Partnership Symposium, aimed at mitigating adverse impacts on small-scale agricultural businesses, was successfully concluded on Tuesday at the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA). 

The event was organised by the Project on Adverse Impact Mitigation for Scaled Agribusiness, under the Agriculture Ministry.

The symposium was chaired by the Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera and State Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mohan Priyadarshana de Silva. Other notable attendees included Ministry Secretary Janaka Dharmakeerthi, International Fund for Agricultural Development’s Maldives and Sri Lankan Director Sherina Tabasam and Agriculture and Plantation Development Division Director Renuka Ratnayake.

Over 60 representatives from organisations involved in agriculture-related products participated in the event. 

The conference’s primary objective was to develop value chains related to agricultural products, introduce specific markets for project beneficiaries, identify market needs and create a platform for export promotion.

The project to minimise the adverse effects on small-scale agricultural businesses is being implemented in 100 village officer domains, selected based on the catchment systems of Malwatu Oya, Deduru Oya, and Mee Oya rivers. 

These domains span across six districts: Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Mannar, Vavuniya, and Matale in the North West, North Central, North, and Central provinces.

The project targets 40,000 families, or around 180,000 individuals, engaged in small-scale agricultural businesses. 

Its main goals are to alleviate poverty, ensure food security and build resilience to climate change among the selected beneficiaries.

Minister Amaraweera emphasised the importance of such initiatives in strengthening the agricultural sector, enhancing economic stability and improving the livelihoods of small-scale farmers. 

The conference concluded with a commitment to continued support and development for small-scale agribusinesses in Sri Lanka.