Big demand for Lankan fruits globally :

Processing, value addition their forte

By Surekha GALAGODA

Managing Director M. Annes Junaid

"Sri Lankan fruits have a high demand globally, so we can break into any supermarket chain if we have the produce.

This is the main reason we are encouraging everyone who has a garden, to grow fruits," said Managing Director CBL Natural Foods (Pvt) Ltd, M. Annes Junaid.

He said that the company gives plants and technology to growers. It does not encourage the use of chemical fertiliser.

The use of pesticides and weedicides is banned. Having a compost bin is a must. Most importantly, the harvest is bought at the market rate.

The company is ready to expand as there are many buyers but the lack of required quantities is keeping it back.

Opportunities

He said that 10 years ago the country had sufficient quantities of fruits but today due to local demand and processing the produce is insufficient to meet the demand.

Junaid sees many opportunities for agriculture in the North and the East.

He assured that the company will buy the whole produce and is ready to give an unlimited quantity guarantee to persons who are willing to cultivate fruits which include pineapples, mangoes, bananas and water melon.

A passion fruit plantation.

At present the company needs 30 metric tons of fruits a day, but getting this quantity is a nightmare. During season, the company processes 30 tons of fruits and lime a day.

The company buys fruits from home gardens, from Hambantota to Anuradhapura, which are handpicked. Recently the company moved to the East as well and 200 families from 14 villages in the Ampara district have been selected and given plants.

These moves enhance rural income while employment is generated in the village which mitigates rural migration.

At present the main concern of the company is to expand agriculture on the ground as it will help support many more farmer families.

The company supplies to some of the main supermarkets globally which includes Carrafour, Monopris in France as well as supermarkets in USA and UK. He said that the company supplies pineapples and fruit cocktails exclusively to Carrafour.

The potential is much more but the issue is the lack of produce to cater to the demand.

Junaid said that earlier Carrafour was purchasing from French Guyana and Thailand but the taste, texture and consistency in the Sri Lankan pineapples, considered the best in the world, was the reason for us to get the order.

Earlier the company also exported cashew which provided a lot of self employment, but the local price increase which is higher than global prices coupled with the shortage of cashew has compelled the company to more or less stop exports.

During the Off season the company does the processing of spices and coconut products to retain the trained labour as retaining them too is an issue today.

CBL Natural Foods (Pvt) Ltd, a subsidiary of Ceylon Biscuits Ltd started operations in 1989 as Junson Associates to export fresh fruits and vegetables.

The range of products.

In 1994 Cecil Fruit was launched for processing and value addition.

Certified

CBL Natural Foods from its inception was involved in promoting rural agriculture and involving many homestead farms in the most remote areas in the country. Cecil Food has been in the forefront of enhancing poor rural farmers' incomes which results in improving the rural economy of the country. In 2003 CBL Natural Foods (Pvt) Ltd became a subsidiary of Ceylon Biscuits Ltd.

The company is organically certified by the Control Union from the Netherlands (4262) and has more than 2500 acres of land under certification.

The processing facility is well equipped and manned by experienced personnel. Industry best practices including the GLASS policy, ALLERGENS precaution and the sound environmental policy are adhered to.

Some of the effective tools used are final metal detection of finished goods, steam sterilization of spices and temperature controlled atmosphere for packing cashew.

The company exports fruits in many forms which include dehydrated, canned, fresh, juices, frozen and pulp as well as coconut products, including coconut chips, cashew and spices.