Tuesday Oct 08, 2024
Tuesday Oct 08, 2024
Monday, 27 October 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Lighting of the oil lamp by distinguished guests and resource speakers
The objective of the LEED project is to promote inclusive economic development among the people in the Northern Province, creating decent employment and long-term sustainable livelihoods. It recognises the important role of the private sector, and especially the export sector to achieve these objectives.
Shiham Marikar, Director – Trade Promotion of NCE stated that since the partnership with ILO was initiated, the Chamber had led three separate business delegations to the north consisting of a total of 20 export companies. During these delegations, meetings were held between the exporters and producers through the Department of Agriculture, District Secretariat offices and their representatives and visit to fields were also arranged through the LEED project office in coordination with the Mullaitivu Chamber of Commerce to gather input regarding their produces and production methods.
A section of the participants in the awareness seminar for producers
He also further stated that up to date three companies namely, CR Exports, HJS Condiments and Rabeena Foods have established business linkages with the producers of papaya and jaggery.
Marikar added that the NCE is planning ahead to appoint a Chamber representative based in the North to overlook operations, and work aggressively in finding producers and link them with exporters.
With a view to building on the successes achieved so far the ILO office in Sri Lanka and the NCE, entered into a Formal Agreement to support a range of business development activities that will be implemented during this year under the agreement.
Seated from left: NCE Director Trade Promotion Shiham Marikar, Department of Agriculture Director of Agriculture Sivakumar, LEED Program Officer Mohamed Farzan and Mullaitivu Chamber of Commerce CEO Viknesh
As a part of the agreement, NCE together with ILO organized an awareness seminar for the producers in the North. The objective of this seminar was to create awareness among the producers of the north on marketing, exports, quality, logistics, and finance aspects, to enable them to explore the various opportunities. The purpose was to open new avenues which are mutually beneficial to exporters and producers by creating opportunities to diversify, develop, and expand their products and processes also to make aware the export demands, and trends related to growing, packing and processing.
The event took place at Kilinochchi on 2 October where around 85 farmers participated. These farmers were present from Mannar, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Jaffna and Mullaitivu. Their participation was arranged by the respective District’s Department of Agriculture and the LEED project team. The event had six resource speakers who presented their views on the subject, and then participated in an enriching panel discussion and answered questions from the audience.
The resource speakers included the following: S. Sivakumar – Director of Agriculture, Dept. of Agriculture, Jaffna; Dr. Upali Ranasinghe – Chairman, CR Exports; Kala Amirthalingam – Director, Rabeena Foods Ltd.; and Thivya Jamen, representing Indexpo Certification Ltd. (Ind-Expo).
NCE staff and LEED project team with the resource speakers
Sivakumar addressed the gathering on the resources of the area (soil, weather, irrigation facilities, etc.), current crops cultivated in north, current marketing of the crops and future plans and possibilities. Dr. Ranasinghe spoke regarding the ongoing project of CR Exports with the LEED project of the ILO, obstacles faced, and the benefits of the partnership with the LEED project of the ILO. Amirthalingam addressed the gathering as a renowned exporter with her success story, ongoing project with ILO, the obstacles faced, and the benefits of the partnership.
Indexpo, an affiliated certification body of the NCE made a presentation on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and the new market opportunities which could be obtained through GAP.
NDB Bank and Scanwell Logistics who have been partners with NCE under a program to promote potential exporters joined hands in this event as well, to educate the farmers on both the finance and logistical services provided by them.
During the panel discussion producers used the floor to seek solutions to many of their problems with the respective resource speakers. Certain matters which needed further clarification will be taken up by the Chamber with the relevant authorities. The producers were thankful to CR Exports which is currently engaged in a joint venture with a cooperative society in the north and requested the Chamber to bring in more companies to work with them.
The NCE during past six months, through the LEED project has established three linkages in the north. In regard to the transport problems faced by farmers in transferring produces from their farms to the market place, Scanwell Logistics stated that they are in the process of creating a ‘Logistics Hub’ in Kilinochchi which would ease this process.
The NCE welcomes exporters and producers to join this programme, where the exporters could benefit in gaining a steady supply to meet their export demands, producers for improving their livelihood, and economy. Most importantly a message of peace is conveyed to assist the country’s reconciliation process. Please contact the Chamber Secretariat on 4344221 or email to [email protected] for further details regarding this program.
During the first week of November, the NCE will be conducting an awareness seminar to the exporters in Colombo, where members of the Department of Agriculture in the Northern Province will brief on the available range of produce, which could be sourced for export purposes.
