Hayleys re-engineers agriculture biz

After over five decades of evolution and growth into business entities that individually play, nationally significant roles in Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector, nine Hayleys Group companies involved in agriculture have been unified under a single corporate brand ‘Hayleys Agriculture.’

The new entity will harness synergies for greater impact and potential and will lead to an enhancement of the pre-eminent role that Hayleys has hitherto played in the local economy.

‘Hayleys Agriculture’ will henceforth be a visual depiction as well as a verbal representation of the full spectrum of products and services encompassed by Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd., a single platform and management structure within the Hayleys Group for businesses with cumulative sales of more than Rs 9 billion in 2010.

Unveiled at a gala convention in Colombo for top customers in both B2B and B2C segments as well as other stakeholders, the new holding company harmonises the management, processes, supply chain, agricultural research, extension and outgrower models of Hayleys companies in crop protection, crop production, agriculture equipment, environmental science, fertiliser, animal health and agricultural exports.

 “The concept is based on the universal axiom that there is greater strength in unity,” Hayleys Group Director in charge of the conglomerate’s agriculture sector companies Rizvi Zaheed said. “We are bringing together synergies in a way that maximises the strengths of the individual companies and makes the cumulative result greater than the total of the parts.”

He said the amalgamation of common services and integration of the extensive value propositions represented by the companies under the Hayleys Agriculture umbrella would substantially enhance their impact on the sector and drive growth while saving costs.

The nine companies represented by Hayleys Agriculture are Hayleys Agro Products Ltd., Hayleys Agro Fertilisers Ltd., Haychem Ltd., Agro Technica Ltd., Hayleys Agro Biotech Ltd., Sunfrost Ltd., HJS Condiments Ltd., Hayleys Agro Farms Ltd., and Quality Seed Co. Ltd.  Together they embody the Hayleys Group’s enduring legacy of involvement in the agronomy of Sri Lanka, the lives of farmers and a commercial engagement in virtually every stage of the lifecycle of myriad agricultural products and services. A strong linkage with the global supply chain whereby primary fruit and vegetable products from the hinterland of Sri Lanka enter global markets as ready-to-consume products gives Hayleys Agriculture a truly unique position.

 “The unification of these companies under Hayleys Agriculture presents a single total solutions provider to multiple stakeholders -- the farmers, the consumers and the policymakers,” Zaheed said.

Acknowledged with numerous national awards over the years for their catalytic role in the field of agriculture and animal health, the Hayleys Group’s agriculture companies are credited with introducing the latest knowledge generated by international research and development in agriculture to Sri Lanka’s farming communities. These companies also continue to provide comprehensive extension services at the grassroots level in all agricultural areas of the country and the Group has invested substantially in bio technology for new generation agriculture.

Hayleys Agriculture pioneered F1 Hybrid Flower Seed production, rainwater harvesting, value-added fruit and vegetable export, venturing directly into regional countries such as Bangladesh, among other firsts. Hayleys Agriculture is also the first agriculture company to strongly venture into the post-conflict Eastern and Northern Provinces of Sri Lanka with bold and impactful initiatives involving returnee farmers in partnership with government agencies and NGOs. As the first agricultural company in Sri Lanka to venture into the use of Nanotechnology in agriculture (in collaboration with NANCO – the national Nanotechnology initiative) Hayleys Agriculture is responsible for an innovative product now at the commercial evaluation stage that has the potential to have a significant impact on the Sri Lankan economy.

Hayleys Agriculture is also focussed on constantly introducing new products and services to build and enhance capacity in traditional agriculture. These include mechanical devices such as combine harvesters, combine threshers and mechanical reapers that improve productivity even in the face of labour shortages. The company is also heavily involved in new high-yielding plant varieties, seed paddy, early-generation seed potato and B-Onion seed among others to help in the country’s drive to improve agricultural productivity and enhance food production and farmer incomes.

Hayleys Agriculture’s involvement in every stage of the life cycle of agro produce from producing seeds to supporting the export of processed vegetable and fruit, gives the entity a unique profile in the agriculture sector, and enables it to add value at many points and in many aspects. Its products range from crop protection products to high-end planting materials including vegetable seeds, seed paddy, seed potatoes, B-Onion and Maize seed, fertiliser, agri equipment including sprayers,  two wheel and four wheel tractors, combine harvesters and combine threshers; micro irrigation systems and animal health products including antibiotics, biologicals, feed additives and veterinary pharmaceuticals.

In the area of agricultural exports, HJS Condiments is the largest fruit and vegetable exporter from Sri Lanka, with top international brands such as ‘McDonalds,’ ‘Unilever,’ ‘Heinz,’ ‘Subway’ and ‘Burger King’ as customers, while other high-tech horticultural products from Hayleys Agro Biotech are sold in global markets from the US to Europe, Japan and Australia.