Pelwatte commences SAPP grants programme for farmers
One of Sri Lanka’s leading dairy producer, Pelwatte who is also an active member of the Smallholder Agribusiness Partnership Programme (SAPP) which is a small scale agribusiness partnership programme implemented with the Ministry of Agriculture.
The goal of this programme is to help uplift the lives of the farming community who work tirelessly for the production of fresh dairy products that go into each and every Pelwatte product. Keeping in line with the programme, Pelwatte held the SAPP grants inauguration ceremony on July 8, at the Kekirawa milk collection centre auditorium with the participation of the Smallholder Agribusiness Partnership Programme (SAPP) and the Market Oriented Dairy (MOD) programme.
In addition to financial grant assistance, the programme also strives to empower the farming community with support through training with the support of the Market Oriented Dairy program by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the International Executive Corporation (IESC) by introducing globally recognized farming methods that have been scientifically proven to increase and enhance output ethically and to the best of quality.
Managing Director Akmal Wickramanayake said; “With the current economic situation of the country it is not easy for anyone, especially for the farming community. However, this has not derailed their dedication to ensure that the dairy output is of the best of quality. Hence, we as Pelwatte feel that it is our duty to support this dedication with the SAPP grants program and to lead by example in the industry by showing our support”.
The SAPP programme aims to be an immense boost to the local dairy industry’s mission of one day being self-sufficient in terms of milk production. It aims to help 1,000 dairy farmers from eight different regions of the nation. These farmers will be from the districts of Anuradhapura, Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala, Moneragala, Polonnaruwa, Badulla, Ampara, and Puttalam.
Pelwatte is a dairy brand on a mission to one day make the production of milk in Sri Lanka meet the local dairy requirement. In its mission, it strives to ensure that global standards are followed and to establish Sri Lankan dairy standards as a global mark of quality and trust.