Bingiriya Mal Wasantaya - 2011:

Exporters, local and foreign buyers targeted

By L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa inspects foliage at the zone Anthuriam plants in green houses

The Agro Export Zone at Bingiriya will hold the Bingiriya Mal Wasantaya 2011, a flower festival from May 26 to 28 at the Bingiriya Kandakkuwatta project premises to commemorate its second anniversary.

The event is jointly organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board and the Bingiriya Development Board and the Bingiriya Development Foundation. The aim of the festival is to attract flower and foliage exporters and local and foreign buyers to the Bingiriya Flower Export Zone, said former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Promoter of the Bingiriya Agri Export Zone Munidasa Premachandra.

The Sunday Observer interviewed Munidasa Premachandra and Bingiriya Development Foundation Chairman Sampath Dissanayaka on the Bingiriya Mal Wasantaya 2011 project.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: What is the aim of the Agri Export Zone introduced in the 2009 budget speech by President Mahinda Rajapaksa?

A: Export is the livewire of economic development of any country. Countries such as Sri Lanka enjoy unique opportunity for exports specially in the agricultural sector. President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his 2009 Budget speech proposed to set up Agri Export Zones in Agricultural districts. The first Agri Export Zone was opened in the Bingiriya electorate.

Q: Can you explain what these agri export zones are?

A: The Bingiriya Agri Export Zone which has anthurium and cut foliage cultivations, has recorded a significant progress.

The objective of setting up 1,500 Agri Export Zones was to introduce Sri Lanka to the world as a centre for high breed flowers and other floriculture products.

Q: Who are the real beneficiaries of this project?

A: Two hundred flower and horticulture growers who were selected from among 1,600 applicants of the area are directly engaged in cultivation at present.

Among the facilities provided for the flower foliage cultivators were 200 net houses and 150 anthuriam plants and pots.

Q: These cultivators are basically village based educated youths. What were the steps taken to persuade them to projects of this nature?

A: The long-term target of this enterprise is to transform the local farmer into an export entrepreneur dealing directly with the international market, says the help of intermediaries under the patronage of the Export Development Board, the Korean International Cooperation Organisation (KOICA) and Sri Lanka’s leading export companies, a series of educational and training programs were conducted during the past two years for cultivators.

An organisation for economic, social, cultural and human resources development was set up in the zone.

A Korean flower and horticulture expert, professor youth attached to the project provides professional and technical know-how to the cultivators.

Bingiriya Development Foundation Chairman, Sampath Dissanayaka said that a 15-acre land at kandakkuwatta in Bingiriya is being developed for a housing scheme for widows of war heroes who will be trained in horticulture. A building complex including an auditorium, cultural centre, computer centre, gymnasium and the facilities such as horticulture plants-collecting, research and development centres will be constructed under the kandakkuwatta development project, he said.

Asked about the rationale behind the proposed Bingiriya Mal Wasantaya 2011 which expects to transform Bingiriya as a flower city and attract foreign and local buyers to Bingiriya he said not only Bingiriya the entire North Western Province has been found to be ideal for agriculture due to its fertile virgin land and the good weather condition. It is a pity that we have not developed our lands for agriculture development.

The Bingiriya Agri/Export Zone project has proved the prudent management of land and human resources for human development.

Q: What was the response for this project from various government and other institutions.

A: We have received assistance from all the organisations which we sought assistance.

The Export Development Board and KOICA made a vital contributions.

Q: Have you managed to explore an export market?

A: We have successfully overcome that challenge with the assistance of Export Development Board.

There is a huge demand for flowers, live plants and decorative foliage in the world market.