Samaposha wins Gold Award at National Agribusiness Awards

Wednesday, 1 October 2014 02:19 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Samaposha, the cereal brand of Plenty Foods Ltd., a subsidiary of Ceylon Biscuits Ltd., received the prestigious Gold Award for Large-Scale Food Processors at the National Agribusiness Awards 2014, organised by the National Agri Business Council held at the BMICH recently.

Samaposha is manufactured using only locally grown wholesome core ingredients. More than 8000 farmers throughout the island benefit from the effective program supplying the required raw materials for manufacturing Samaposha. The ‘Backward Integration’ program also significantly supports the upliftment of the living standards of the nation’s farming community while strengthening our agricultural economy. Plenty Foods Ltd. operates not solely for profit but with manifold responsibility towards the wellbeing of their dedicated farmer community. Inaugurated by the organisation in 2012 ‘GoviPawula’ is their main corporate social responsibility initiative working towards enriching the lives of farmers. The four sub-projects under this scheme, namely ‘GoviSathuta’, ‘GoviSarana’, ‘GoviDenuma’ and ‘Govi Arana’ work towards providing them assistance in times of need and supporting and strengthening their livelihood. Plenty Foods Ltd. also looks into the religious and spiritual needs of the farming community through their program. Moreover, the organisation supports the farmer community with information and advice on farming and how to protect their harvest. Commenting on the strong relationship between the farmer community and Plenty Foods Ltd. Director/CEO Shammi Karunaratne said: “Our organisation’s main objectives are not motivated solely by profit. We seek to involve and represent the farmers in a fair manner. Towards this we follow a specific program. According to the ‘Forward Sales Contract’ agreement with farmers, the company offers a price based on market rates. If there is an increase of price for raw materials at the time of purchasing, the company pays a higher price to the farmers for their crops.” Karunaratne also noted that from seed materials up to the purchasing point, the company offers many facilities including providing inputs on loan basis, regular visits by field officers to ensure proper maintenance of the crop and to educate farmers on the importance of meeting high standards of required raw materials for manufacturing Samaposha. The entire manufacturing process for Samaposha is carried out through an advanced process using modern machinery which retains the goodness of core ingredients supplied by farmers. Understanding the importance of protecting the health and wellbeing of farmers, Plenty Foods Ltd. planned to add many branches to the ‘GoviPawula’ program for the benefit of the farming community and to extend our support towards their health through the ‘GoviSuwaya’ program.