Value Chain Development in Sri Lanka

March 20, 2007. I recently returned from an assessment mission to Sri Lanka to identify effective implementing partners and methods to promote competitiveness of agriculturally based value chains, implement a workforce development strategy, promote a business enabling environment, and ensure that groups located in conflict-affected areas benefit from participation in selected horticulture and dairy sector value chains. We were specifically studying the existing supply of certain horticulture produce and how to enhance its efficiency with the assistance of key market players. I was also later asked to help develop a country strategy for fiscal year 2007 for the country office.

IRD’s country director is a recent hire, and in general, there is still quite some disconnect within the organization, resulting in one country office knowing very little of the entire organization’s work worldwide. Fortunate for us, our staff seemed well aware of potential partners within Sri Lanka that have the necessary experience in working with local cooperatives and producer associations and facilitating micro-enterprise development. This greatly facilitated the necessary information gathering.

I was excited to learn that our most desired local partner is headed by the brother of a very good family friend. Somehow being of Sri Lankan Tamil origin, it’s difficult to always keep professional and personal life separate in this country. The company has an ideal corporate social responsibility policy, emphasizing their desire for the maximum sum of funds to go to rural communities with a maintained focus on the well-being of Sri Lankans. They are striving to facilitate a different cycle of distribution in rural areas where energy foods will reach the poor at affordable prices. They have also developed a program that will hone entrepreneurial and technical skills of rural folk and develop rural supply chains. We took advantage of the opportunity to visit some of their processing and collection points throughout the Gampaha district. We visited a pineapple farmer, a coconut farmer, and a dairy processing plant. I got a brief chance to discuss extending all of these services and supply chains to the Jaffna peninsula and Vanni region of Sri Lanka. I strongly believe that there is much talent and a historic record of a thriving agriculture sector here that has been excluded from this growth. Because the government has largely neglected the region in hopes of indirectly stunting its growth, we should look to the private sector as a better alternative.























During the assessment mission, I got the chance to visit some of our existing programs towards the south of the country. This included a visit to Hambantota to participate in the handing over of the Healthcare Center built by IRD and its local partner to the Ministry of Health and Nutrition, the Kirinda-Bundala sites where we have a Water Improvement program to supply clean water to households and community wells, Galle, where we’ve constructed toilets, a first aid room, and canteen in a local school, and finally Matara, where we have supported an awareness program on the prevention of vector borne diseases and promotion of clean drinking water and public health campaigns.