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Friday, February 05, 2010 - 05.35 GMT |
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USAID & Hayleys
help Eastern farmers |
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The U.S.
Agency
for
International
Development
(USAID)
is
partnering
with
Hayleys
Agro
Farms to
raise
the
incomes
of 1000
cucumber
farmers
in
Ampara
District
and
stimulate
economic
growth
by
exporting
more
pickles
abroad.
USAID
committed
Rs.114
million
to work
with
4,000
farmers
in
Ampara,
Batticaloa,
and
Monaragala
Districts.
In July
2009,
USAID
partnered
with
Hayleys,
to
increase
the
quantity
and
improve
the
quality
of
cucumbers
grown to
produce
gherkin
pickles
and seed
production
for
paddy.
This
partnership
will
open up
new
markets
for
farmers
in the
East,
increase
their
incomes
and
expand
the
economic
base of
their
communities.
Sunfrost
Limited,
a
subsidiary
of
Hayleys,
is
building
a plant
in the
East
that
will
process
fresh
cucumbers
into
gherkin
pickles.
This
will
create
30 new
jobs at
the
plant
and
increase
the
demand
for
cucumbers;
by 2012,
Sunfrost
expects
to be
working
with
2,500
farmers.
Sunfrost’s
pickled
gherkins
are
exported
to
international
food
companies
such as
McDonald’s
and
Burger
King, as
well as
to
retailers
in 32
countries.
Exports
are
valued
at
Rs.900
million
per
year.
Another
USAID
partnership
with the
private
sector
is
increasing
dairy
production
in the
East.
Together,
the two
programmes
will
work
with
8,000
farmers,
benefiting
about
40,000
family
members
by
increasing
their
incomes.
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