Development of Agribusiness Enterprises - Asian Productivity ...

The Industrial Technology Institution (under the Ministry of Science and Technology)
also provides technology training on agro-industrial products for entrepreneurs through a feebased
service.
NGOs providing entrepreneurs with technology training on agro-processing are
Intermediate Technology Group and Sarvodaya. In addition, Ag-Ent (a United States
agency) has been providing assistance in agriculture and agro-industry in order to promote
agribusiness in Sri Lanka.
A chain of 50 industrial estates has been established as a part of the Industrial
Development Program with the objective of attracting entrepreneurs to rural areas of
Western, Southern, Central, North Western, Eastern and Sabaragamuwa provinces. The
program offers agro-industries good opportunities with access to low-cost infrastructure
facilities provided by the government.
FUTURE PROSPECTS OF
AGRIBUSINESS ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
Demand for the red and green varieties of pepper (capsicum), cabbages and other
vegetables is good, especially in Maldives and countries in the Middle East. Present trends
in production, together with the availability of modern agricultural methods such as tunnel
irrigation and greenhouses, provide scope for expanding the cultivation of these crops on a
commercial scale to supply both for local and export market.
Demand for processing organic fruit and vegetables exists in domestic and export
markets. Strong demand also exists for herbal products such as balms, toothpaste, skincare
preparations, herbal teas, etc.
The use of organic fertilizer from bio-cultivation is increasing and the potential exists
for even greater domestic demand. The prospects for processing coir dust into blocks for use
as a water retainer and in soilless cultivation are also very high (Table 5).
Agribusinesses that offer good prospects are listed below:
C Green tea
C Cashew nut processing
C Fresh fruit and vegetables for export
C Processed fruit and vegetables
C Fresh spices (pepper, cardamoms, mace, cinnamon)
C Processed spices (cinnamon bark oil, nutmeg oil and other spice oils)
C Coconut shell charcoal
C Geo-textiles from coir yarn
C Cut flowers and foliage plants (floriculture), including anthuriums (blood red, orange),
orchids (arachnis, dendrobium, ascocends, oncidium), and foliage and other plants
(dracaena, caladium, Ficus, Plumeria, yucca).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Taking into consideration the various points discussed above, the following actions are
recommended:
- 164 -