Cargills Food City ‘Doren Dorata’ in Delgoda today

Rs. 5 Million in gifts for farmers: Cargills takes its 25th anniversary celebration of a lifetime to 360 villages and towns.:

Cargills Food City is taking its 25th anniversary celebration to rural villages and remote towns in Sri Lanka strengthening its partnership with rural communities, farmers and smallholder entrepreneurs.

Already more than 30 villages and towns have been visited by the Cargills Food City ‘Doren Dorata’ road show which is in Delgoda today coinciding with the grand opening of the latest Cargills Food City outlet in the area. The ‘Doren Dorata’ road show which commenced its journey across Sri Lanka on the 1st of November would be reaching more than 360 locations in just 60 days.

Lalin Ratwatta of Cargills who is travelling with the road show observed that the response from the public has been phenomenal. “Every village and town has embraced us warmly. The news that Cargills Food City is coming to their area has created a lot of enthusiasm. Hundreds and thousands flock to the ‘Doren Dorata’ float and are very enthusiastic because of the opportunity we have given them to be a part of the celebration,” he said.

This Cargills Food City mobile party promises to be full of excitement and entertainment with Sirasa Fm Sri Lanka’s number one radio channel coming on board for the celebrations. Through this road show Cargills Food City is giving rural farmers and entrepreneurs the chance to win valuable prizes worth more than Rs. 5 million. “All you have to do is tune into Sirasa Fm for live updates find out when the Road Show is coming to their village or town. Then they just have to list down the 5 lowest priced items at Cargills Food City on the back of a bill from Food City worth Rs. 200 or more and drop it off with the Road Show team visiting their area. At the end of the Road Show we will have a lucky draw on selected correct entries and Cargills Food City will be giving away prizes that would be valuable to our rural farming communities,” explained S. M. Marikkar, Channel Head of Sirasa Fm.

The gifts include tractors, dimo batta vehicles, three wheelers, land-masters, boats and other agriculture related equipment, specifically targeting the needs of rural Sri Lanka’s agriculture communities.

Meanwhile Ratwatta added that the public perception of Cargills Food City is important in highlighting the change the supermarket chain has created especially for the rural communities. “Many have told us that they thought supermarkets were only accessible for the elite. But with Cargills Food City coming to their villages they enjoy a higher quality of life at affordable prices. The public is very excited about the relationship we have developed with rural farming communities,” he said.

Cargills first ventured into organized retail in 1983 and was bold enough to change the norm by taking what was traditionally an ‘affluent’ focused business to the masses. Today this strategy has accrued benefits to not only the company’s shareholders but its consumers as well as local communities.