Showcasing private enterprise at Ag-Biz 2006

by Elmo Leonard

While Sri Lanka is not self-sufficient in food, the island's private sector, YoY betters its venture into agricultural diversity. When coir is used to turn out coir products, waste is utilised; employment is generated at the mill, in processing, packaging and at exports levels while forex is earned. "When the USAID agencies working at field level, left Sri Lanka, this is what they intended us to carry on doing," chairman, National Agribusiness Council (NAC) Mario de Alwis said.

Chairman, Sri Lanka Fruits and Vegetable Producers Processors and Exporters' Association Sarath Silva said that in the export of fruits and vegetables, the work done islandwide must be from seed to fruit and export, using high technology wherever possible. This process, besides, facilitates import substitution, he said. Sri Lanka's premier agriculture exhibition, Ag-Biz 2006, this year, themed, 'Showcasing Private Enterprise in Agribusiness' is scheduled for August 25 - 27, at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre.

Ag-Biz aims to attract leading technology equipment and other support providers to exhibit their latest innovations to enable the local agriculture industry, to be more competitive and face global competition.

Organised by the National Agribusiness Council, Lanka Exhibition and Conference Services (Pvt) Ltd also endorsed by the Ministeries of Agriculture Development and Industrial Development, Ag-Biz covers areas such as agriculture, poultry and livestock, floriculture and many other segments which are the backbone of the industry.

The agriculture sector is a major contributor to Sri Lanka's economy over a period of time and about 60 percent are employed in it on a full or part time basis, De Alwis said. Thus, seminars will take place with the participation of guest speakers to educate local agriculturalists on new developments taking place around the world and to improve local productivity.

Simultaneously, the annual Ag-Biz awards will take place during the event to recognise contributing companies, reward successful agri-entrepreneurs and highlight good practices.

The exhibitor profile includes agro chemicals/fertiliser, agricultural vehicles, air conditioning systems, greenhouses/poly houses, geotextiles, sun shades, irrigation equipment, netting and shade systems, pipes, pumps and motors, refrigeration and cold storage, bio technology, seeds, storage systems and crates, tractors and tillers, solar equipment/windmills, food processing machinery, dairy equipment, feeds and feeding systems, veterinary supplies/vaccines.

The services provided at the exhibition will include R&D organisations and product planning; banks and financial institutions; agricultural based universities; transport systems; publications; buying offices and supermarkets; trading and marketing companies; facilitators; export trading houses and agro-waste recycling.

Opportunities in the agri-business include rice processing in partnership while being with state facilitated by the guaranteed purchase price for paddy organic farming with the use of organic fertiliser processing organic fertiliser; local production or importation and marketing of all seed varieties, specially hybrid varieties; fruit orchids and processing facilities in the peripheries; finance, processing of dairy products, export houses, purchasing and storage of agro produce; providing inputs and services to agri-business.