Business
Dilmah’s MJF Centre East Opens Cashew Processing Centre for Smallholders
Benefits Women and Farmer Community in Kalkudah
A combined ecosystem restoration and livelihood improvement project – Greening Batticaloa – was designed and initiated by Dilmah Conservation in 2010. It had the objective of partnering with local communities to restore some of the flora that was lost during the preceding conflict in the East of Sri Lanka while eventually improving livelihoods. Nurseries were established and one million cashew plants prepared and distributed to families in the East with the promise that as they care for the plants, the plants would eventually care for them by providing income.
Cashew is a valuable cash crop with a shady canopy resilient to the very dry climate in the area. Dilmah Conservation worked with scientists to identify cashew as ideal to ease economic hardships and environmental devastation that following the Tsunami and Civil unrest in the East. So, began a 10-year mission to establish one million cashew trees through the Greening Batticaloa Programme in Kalkudah. Fulfilling the promise that Dilmah Founder Merrill J. Fernando made to the first recipients of the cashew plants in 2010, on his 92nd birthday – 06th May 2022 – Dilmah reached a milestone in this initiative with the opening of a cashew processing centre by the Merrill J Fernando Charitable Foundation in its eastern MJF Centre for Dignified Empowerment.
Today, acres of small farmer-owned and fully-grown cashew trees have sprung up in the locations where the saplings were planted producing over 50MT of cashew, a sizeable harvest of the valuable crop. Beneficiaries will have their own facility for cashew processing to hull, roast and add value to their produce and benefit from higher income. The MJF Foundation Cashew processing centre brings added benefits to the community including better quality control with new and high quality equipment and facilities, better market access facilitated by Dilmah and its affiliated companies, better employment opportunities, and greater return for their effort.
The newly opened cashew processing centre will carry out the cutting, peeling, drying and packing processes to deliver a market-ready product. MJFCF East, is one of several MJF Centres established by Dilmah in fulfillment of its commitment to serve humanity through its business. The MJF Foundation has an overriding objective of empowering marginalized communities with dignity and will employ ten women from its Women’s Development Programme for the task.
Mark Patterson, Centre Manager, MJF Charitable Foundation – Centre East said, “In a time when economic challenges are faced by communities in Valachchenai and around our Centre we are glad to have come up with this strategy to support their efforts for generating additional income through cashew processing”.
The 10 women have been trained in the necessary skills and on-the-job training by Forbes and Walker (F&W) Pvt Ltd. Previously, MJF Centre East facilitated the sale of raw cashew directly from farmers to Forbes and Walker Pvt Ltd who will now purchase the processed cashew at a premium. Buying cashew directly from the farmers and processing in the Eastern province will significantly to the earnings of the smallholder beneficiaries of the project. They retain the option of selling their produce through other channels if they wish.
Shardha Sosa, Finance Director, Forbes & Walker (Pvt) Ltd said, “Processing at source ensures backward integration of the value chain leaving only the marketing and distribution to be done by us. This has natural efficiencies and importantly significant benefits for the smallholders involved. They benefit from a fairer share of their effort. Carbon footprint is also reduced from the absence of having to transport unshelled cashew to be processed in Western Province. Thanks to the climate in Batticaloa, sun-drying cashew, will further eliminate machine costs and carbon footprint.”
Since 2018, the Dilmah Conservation Greening Batticaloa project’s cashew harvest has seen an upward trajectory doubling to over 50 metric tonnes from 2019 to 2020. Although challenges from the pandemic caused a dip in the trend in 2021, the numbers are expected to be promising in the upcoming harvest this year.
Seeing a growing demand both locally and internationally for dehydrated food, the MJF Centre East also plans to expand into dehydration of cashew, fruits and vegetables. Dilmah Tea founded the MJF Charitable Foundation and Dilmah Conservation to fulfill his wish to serve humanity through kindness to people and nature. The work of both organizations is funded by profits from the sale of Dilmah Tea and they deliver social, economic, cultural and environmental impact amongst diverse communities including the tea plantations.
Company stresses ambition to surpass this milestone
Eyes markets across Africa and beyond
In a groundbreaking achievement for Sri Lanka’s IT and electronics manufacturing industry, EWIS Colombo Ltd, the country’s first and only local computer manufacturer, has successfully exported its first consignment of locally built laptops to Zimbabwe.
This landmark event not only positions Sri Lanka as an emerging force in global IT hardware manufacturing but also highlights EWIS’s commitment to innovation, quality, and excellence on the international stage.
This historic shipment, dispatched from EWIS’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Samajasewapura, Sooriyawewa, underscores the company’s dedication to delivering world-class technology solutions. With over 11 years of expertise in manufacturing and assembly, EWIS Colombo Ltd has played a pivotal role in driving Sri Lanka’s ICT sector forward. As a Board of Investment (BOI) Section 17-approved company, EWIS has established the country’s first and only local computer manufacturing plant, paving the way for the nation’s growth in high-tech exports.
Speaking on this momentous achievement, Sanjeewa Wickramanayake, Chairman of EWIS Colombo Ltd, said: “This milestone is not just for EWIS but for Sri Lanka as a whole. It proves that our country has the talent, capability, and ambition to manufacture and export high-quality IT products, competing confidently on the global stage. As we continue expanding beyond local markets, we take immense pride in showcasing Sri Lanka’s excellence in technology and innovation to the world. EWIS’s commitment to world-class quality is reinforced by its ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, CE, FCC, and RoHS certifications, ensuring compliance with international quality, safety, and environmental standards.”
Speaking further he said:
“For nearly four decades, EWIS has been a trailblazer in Sri Lanka’s ICT sector, delivering cutting-edge solutions for education, businesses, and government enterprises.
With over 11 years of local manufacturing and assembly expertise, EWIS has continuously refined its capabilities to produce high-quality, internationally competitive IT hardware. The successful export to Zimbabwe represents a bold step toward expanding EWIS’s global footprint, reinforcing Sri Lanka’s potential as a world-class technology and manufacturing hub.”
Dialog Television, Sri Lanka’s #1 Pay-TV service provider, has partnered with Emerging Media to enhance the convenience and effectiveness of advertising. This collaboration brings together Dialog Television’s world-class entertainment, featuring 18 advertisable channels across genres such as movies, edutainment, kids, music, sports, and local content, with Emerging Media’s expertise in digital advertising and targeted marketing. This synergy creates a seamless platform for businesses to maximize brand exposure across multiple channels.
With a reach of over 1.7 million households, Dialog Television provides advertisers with a powerful avenue to engage diverse audiences. Brands can place advertisements on leading international and local channels such as &flix, Star Movies, TLC, Animal Planet, AXN, Zee Café, Comedy Central, Star Plus, A+, Nickelodeon, Star Vijay, Zee Tamil, Star Sports, Ten Cricket, Sony SIX, ThePapare TV, Channel One, Citi Hitz and Channel C. Through this partnership, Emerging Media will facilitate advertising sales, allowing businesses to target specific viewer segments while simplifying the media buying process with a single point of contact.
Commenting on the partnership, Lim Li San, Group Chief Operating Officer at Dialog Axiata PLC, stated, “As Sri Lanka’s premier Pay-TV service provider, we serve more than 1.7 million households with over 6 million pairs of captive eyeballs across Sri Lanka. Today, we are excited to embark on this partnership with Emerging Media to avail our Dialog Television platform and brand strength to provide quality advertisement exposure and customer engagement to local businesses across Sri Lanka.”
The International Institute of Health Sciences (IIHS), a pioneer in healthcare training for over 23 years, has partnered with the University of Surrey, UK, to revolutionise healthcare education in Sri Lanka and the broader South Asian region. This will create a world-class academic pathway for aspiring nursing and healthcare professionals, as well as young individuals seeking careers in the field. Under this agreement, IIHS and the University of Surrey will introduce a series of academic initiatives to enhance healthcare training and accessibility.
These include delivering internationally recognised nursing programmes that allow Sri Lankan and regional students to earn globally competitive qualifications in Sri Lanka.
Commenting on the move, Dr. Kithsiri Edirisinghe, CEO & Dean of Undergraduate Studies at IIHS, said: “This MOU marks a significant step in our mission to deliver world-class healthcare education to Sri Lanka and the region. IIHS remains dedicated to shaping the future of healthcare professionals and fostering global healthcare leadership.” Dr. Shelini Surendran, Associate Dean (International) at the University of Surrey, emphasised: “Sri Lanka is establishing itself as a regional education hub, and this partnership ensures students across Asia can access top-tier UK healthcare education at IIHS. By bridging academic excellence with accessibility, we provide students with a clear pathway to their professional goals.”
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