2011 Annual Report - Cargills (Ceylon)

Annual Report 201125Sustainability report contd...Expected AnnualCrop yield : To surpass 1250 MT and cater to both localmarket and international marketsNo. of farmers : 250 farmers from Monaragala & UvaProvinces5. Project : Cashew Processing ProjectLocation : AnamaduwaPartners : Green Vision / World VisionObjective : To revive the livelihoods of cashewcultivators in the area who are facing severeconomic hardships due to inability to faceincreasing competitionWorkforce : 200 strong workforce (mostly women).Would have over arching impact on the lifeand living of rural poor in the regionwe have with the fields they sow, the families they nurture, thecommunities they live in and the schools where their childrenlearn. Cargills has therefore initiated farmer communitydevelopment funds where 50 cents is given back to the villageagainst each kilogram of vegetables purchased from ourfarmers. This fund is used to provide scholarships for needychildren from the community, to provide resources for learningand advancement, to meet basic community infrastructureneeds such as utility connections, community centres, librariesetc. Our focus is to engage the communities that work with usto charter their own course of development.6. Responsible to Our CommunityOur continued success depends on the growth and health of thecommunities we work with.6. Project : Seed Testing ProjectLocations : Island widePartner : Department of AgricultureObjective : In order to improve productivity andprofitability of vegetable cultivation goodquality high yielding seed is the mostcrucial intervention. As per the statutoryrequirements, systematic testing of theimported seed would be conducted eitherat the farm of the Horticulture Research andDevelopment Institute (HORDI) or in thefarmers’ fields.One Trust Sri LankaOne Trust came into being from the very heart of Cargills outof compassion and empathy for our fellow Sri Lankans whoselives were devastated in the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004.One Trust targeted the children who survived the mental andphysical trauma of the Tsunami disaster and helped rebuildidentified schools from Southern and Eastern coastal areas.Today One Trust has expanded its vision to heal the spirits andhearts of children affected by war and restore their ability tohope and dream.7. Project : Yal UtpaththiLocation : Jaffna PeninsulaPartners : Central Bank of Sri Lanka & Bank ofCeylonObjective : Cargills and the Central of Bank of SriLanka have launched a joint programme tocreate markets for farmers from the Jaffnapeninsula who specialize in Palmyrah basedproducts. This follows the Central Bank’sPoverty Alleviation Microfinance Projectfunded by the Bank of Ceylon. Under theproject farmers received micro-credit asmeans of reinvigorating the traditionallivelihoods. Cargills came forward toprovide a market for products made by thebeneficiary farmers.5.2 Investing in regional economiesOne Trust in VavuniyaThe project is being supported by the Department of Probationand Child Care Services which is coordinating the processof identifying beneficiaries’ currently in institutional care orin the care of immediate family. The Department would alsofacilitate the process of channeling funds to the identifiedchildren in supporting and monitoring their educational needs.This is done as a bi-annual event, where Cargills sponsor theireducational needs through the One Trust Fund. These includes,school text books, Uniforms, stationery items, cupboards,mosquito nets, bedding, medicines, vaccines and other needsidentified at the time of distribution. These identified childrenare given an opportunity to re-build their lives by re-openingdoors for education through ongoing school based projects.An Inspired Swan Lake & Nut Cracker by Center StageProductionAt Cargills a relationship we establish with farmers is a bondThe One Trust partnership with Center-stage production is