Bright future for companies with the latest equipment

By Jayampathy Jayasinghe

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Companies providing modern technology for food production will thrive in view of the global food shortage.

Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena quoting a WHO report said that more than 100 million people will be affected by a food crisis during the next decade. He was speaking at the launch of John Deere tractors in Colombo recently.

The minister said the topic of agriculture was in the air these days and companies providing agricultural implements with modern technology have a bright future.

Farmers have to be educated on modern methods of farming to reap a bumper harvest. He was happy that a local company was engaged in agricultural business for more than two decades, he said.

Vice President John Deere Asia, Wayne Haughton said that the John Deere company has been active in the local market for approximately 35 years. Although relatively new in Sri Lanka, John Deere was the second oldest company in North America which was 170 years old. The company is a major producer of agricultural implements worldwide and has 53,000 employees mostly in Asia.

The John Deere company will probably make around US dollars 30 billion in terms of machinery and in turnover this year.

The company is listed as the 93rd company of the Fortune Magazine. For the first time in its history 50 per cent of the company’s turnover will be outside the borders of North America which makes them a global company.

He said Dave Tractors represents one of the finest organisations in terms of its integrity and the way it supports their customers vis a vis their products. The company has premium dealers throughout the world.

Chairman Dave Group, Dave Siriwardena also spoke.