Business
Bolstering the rural economy through jobs in poultry production
For almost 50 years now, Sri Lanka’s leading and favourite poultry producer Crysbro, while enriching the nation with its highly nutritional and fresh products, has been working towards supporting and empowering its workforce in every stage to drive the eradication of poverty faced mainly by residents in rural regions.
The producer introduced the now renowned ‘Diri Saviya’ scheme, setting the foundation for lending a helping hand to 250 farmer families in the Uva, North-Central, and Central provinces of Sri Lanka, with the setting up of their own independent poultry farms.
With the support of Crysbro, local farmers are prepared to contribute to the country’s economy, given the necessary supports of expert training, high-quality chicks from Crysbro’s own hatcheries, and quality feed produced in the in-house feed mill, to guarantee that every step is carefully attended for uniformity and quality.
“Having grown exponentially over the past few decades, Crysbro has now come to a position where the economic and social contributions by the company are now a larger requirement and expectation. This increased responsibility led us to extend the company’s ethos well beyond business as usual to include the welfare of the numerous farming communities that form an integral support structure for the entire poultry industry,” noted Crysbro Senior Marketing Manager Amores Sellar.
Inevitably, this strategy has given way to identifying the most crucial aspect of this objective: Its vital support framework for the entire local farming community.
For example, a vital aspect of its efforts within this sphere includes its close cooperation with chicken farmers. These farmers, through outgrower schemes, are contracted to raise chickens for Crysbro. The way this partnership works is Crysbro provides these farmers with the necessary chickens, veterinary support, feed and technical assistance while the outgrowers oversee the daily care of the chickens.
This mutually beneficial relationship has empowered several farming families from across the country by offering them a steady and viable source of income while allowing their farms to continue functioning independently. Crysbro’s involvement with these contract growers also significantly mitigates the financial risk these farmers would typically shoulder if they raised chickens without the company’s assistance.
Another example is Crysbro constantly and consistently assisting and fostering close ties with farmers who provide the maize required to feed the chickens that the group supplies to local grocers, supermarkets and restaurants. Last year alone, Crysbro’s subsidiary bolstered the rural economy by spending over Rs.1 billion to purchase maize from over 1,200 farmers in regions such as Monaragala, Mahiyanganaya and Anuradhapura.
In addition, Crysbro’s feed mill allows farmers to engage in direct selling. This entirely erases their reliance on a mediating middleman and ensures that they are paid after the collection of stocks.
Ultimately, Crysbro’s ties to farmers enable it to deliver on its overarching commitment of creating healthy citizens within a healthy economy.
This is represented by its leading role within the poultry industry, whose short- and long-term benefits to the economy are immense. The industry is among the country’s highest agricultural revenue generators along with its most disciplined, structured and consistent taxpayer.
Private taxi operators at Bandaranaike International Airport are calling for urgent rental relief, stating that they are struggling to sustain operations after paying nearly Rs. 19 million in monthly rental fees amid a sharp decline in tourist arrivals during the off-season.
The operators said tourist arrivals have dropped by nearly 80%, severely affecting their income and making it difficult to continue meeting high operational costs.
“Only a small number of tourists are now arriving at the airport, and a majority of them are being taken by metered taxi operators, who pay only around Rs. 700 per ride as fees to Airport and Aviation Services, an operator said.
According to the operators, the six long-standing private taxi service providers at the airport each pay monthly rentals ranging from approximately Rs. 2.9 million to Rs. 4 million. In addition, they are required to maintain a minimum a fleet of six vehicles along with dedicated airport staff.
“What we are requesting is a temporary reduction in monthly rental payments for around three to four months until tourist arrivals improve and the industry returns to normal, they said.
The operators noted that they have been operating at the airport for more than two decades, providing transport services to both local and international travelers, while metered taxi services entered the airport transport sector only about two years ago.
They also alleged that metered taxi operators have been granted more favourable operating conditions and questioned the process through which those operators were allowed to operate at the airport.
Operators argue that the present financial burden has become unsustainable, given the sharp drop in business volumes and what they describe as an uneven competitive environment within the airport transport system.
“What we are requesting is a 50% reduction in monthly rental fees for a period of at least three months, they said.
They also raised concerns about the quality and condition of some vehicles operated by metered taxi providers.
“Passengers are often unaware of the condition of some of these vehicles until they enter them, which can compromise safety standards, one operator claimed.
In contrast, the private airport taxi operators say they maintain newer vehicles and employ experienced, professionally trained drivers to ensure higher standards of passenger safety and service quality.
The operators warned that failure to address the issue could have wider economic and social consequences. The six service providers collectively employ around 250 staff, and continued financial pressure may lead to job losses and a reduction in organised airport transport services.
By Hiran H Senewiratne
The operation of Automobile Association of Ceylon(AAC) Call Boxes, in the past had provided yeoman service to many motorists including during the era of British planters. AAC services for members are a motoring security when they travel.
The Call Box in Nuwara Eliya was recently refurbished to provide a better and improved service to the Members in the area and the touring public. Now from this Call Box the motorists could get Road Side Assistance, Valuation Reports, Technical Advice and also issuance of International Driving Permits.
The refurbished Call Box at Nuwara Eliya was declared open by Dhammika Attygalle, President of the Association in the presence of S V Ganesh – Vice President, several Executive Committee members, Puthrasigamani, Life Member of the Association, Eng. C S Samarasekera of RDA- Nuwara Eliya, Devapriya Hettiarachchi, Secretary (AAC) and Eng. C L Liyanasuriya – Chief Engineer(AAC).
The services from the Nuwara Eliya Call Box are available from 8.00am to 5.00pm.
Call Technical Officer Sampath Madagama on 0767315696.
From Risk to Opportunity: Mainstreaming Climate Action into Sri Lanka’s Growth Story
As climate rules tighten globally and investor expectations shift from commitment to compliance, climate action is now directly tied to trade, competitiveness, and access to finance. Against this backdrop, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will host the second edition of the Sri Lanka Climate Summit on 9 June 2026 at the Taj Samudra Hotel, convening policymakers, industry leaders, financiers, and technical experts to focus on pathways for integrating climate action into Sri Lanka’s growth story.
Held as a biennial platform, the Summit returns this year under the theme “From Risk to Opportunity: Mainstreaming Climate Action into Sri Lanka’s Growth Story.” While the inaugural edition in 2024 focused on building awareness and advocacy, the 2026 Summit shifts the conversation toward implementation, technical readiness, and compliance as climate-related obligations begin to directly influence access to markets, finance, and investment.
Rather than treating sustainability as a standalone agenda, this year’s discussions will explore how climate considerations are becoming embedded across core areas of business and economic decision-making, from infrastructure and trade to finance, governance, digitalisation, agriculture, and supply chains.
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