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.
Sarvodaya Development Finance PLC (SDF) has become the first Sri Lankan company to receive the Client Protection Certification, awarded by MFR under the Cerise + SPTF methodology, marking a significant milestone in the country’s responsible finance sector and reaffirming the Company’s commitment to ethical, inclusive and client-centered financial services.
SDF was awarded the Bronze level of achievement in client protection, signifying that the institution meets all standards necessary for adequate Client Protection under the Universal Standards for Social and Environmental Performance Management.
The certification was awarded by MFR, a leading global rating agency that provides assessments, data and technical expertise to the sustainable finance industry. Headquartered in Italy, MFR operates through five regional offices across Ecuador, Mexico, Kenya, the Kyrgyz Republic and India, covering four continents and maintaining one of the widest global footprints among specialized rating agencies. With more than 2,800 assignments conducted across over 110 countries, MFR holds a leading position in the global responsible finance certification and assessment landscape.
The Client Protection Certification is widely recognized and valued across the responsible finance industry, particularly among investors, donors and development finance stakeholders. It reflects an institution’s ability to uphold the principle of “doing no harm to clients”, which is considered a minimum expectation within the responsible and inclusive finance sector.
For SDF, the certification further strengthens its position as a purpose-driven financial institution committed to serving underserved communities, micro and small enterprises, rural entrepreneurs and productive sectors that require accessible, responsible and sustainable financial support. It also reinforces the Company’s approach to balancing financial inclusion with sound governance, transparency and client welfare.
Cyril Rodrigo’s Restaurants (Pvt) Ltd (Green Cabin) has expanded its presence in Sri Lanka’s hospitality and events sector through a strategic partnership with Havelock City to manage and operate its banquet facilities, introducing ‘Havelock City Banquets by Green Cabin’. The collaboration brings together Havelock City’s premium event infrastructure and Green Cabin’s expertise in catering, hospitality, creating an integrated offering for weddings, corporate functions, private celebrations, and large-scale social events in Colombo.
The partnership represents a significant milestone in Green Cabin’s broader growth strategy as the company continues to diversify its hospitality portfolio beyond its traditional restaurant and bakery operations. Under the new arrangement, Green Cabin will serve as the exclusive catering partner for all events hosted at the venue, delivering end-to-end culinary and hospitality services supported by decades of operational expertise.
As demand continues to grow for professionally managed event spaces that combine convenience, quality service, and premium dining experiences, ‘Havelock City Banquets by Green Cabin’ aims to address an increasingly sophisticated market seeking seamless event execution under a single trusted provider.
CSE investor sentiment dropped yesterday amid what seemed to be an initial lack of clarity over the signing of the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, market analysts said.
Amid those developments both indices moved downward. The All Share Price Index went down by 88.08 points while the S and P SL20 declined by 4.35 points.
Turnover stood at Rs 1.86 billion with five crossings. NDB 796,000 shares crossed for Rs 87.6 million and its shares traded at Rs 110, Dialog Axiata 500,000 shares crossed to the tune of Rs 23 million; its shares traded at Rs 46, Singer SriLanka 300,000 shares crossed to the tune of Rs 22.8 million; its shares sold at Rs 76.10, Sampath Bank 150,000 shares crossed for Rs 21.8 million; its share s traded at Rs 145 and CIC Holdings 625,000 shares crossed for Rs 20 million; its shares traded at Rs 32.
In the retail market companies that mainly contributed to the turnover were; Hemas Holdings Rs 281 million (8.6 million shares traded), Dialog Rs 127 million (2.8 million shares traded), NDB Rs 101 million (916,000 shares traded), JKH Rs 62 million (three million shares traded), Lanka Realty Investments Rs 55 million (948,000 shares traded), Commercial Bank Rs 52 million (248,000 shares traded) and Central Finance Rs 40 million (177,000 shares traded). During the day 75.6 million share volumes changed hands in 18167 transactions.
It is said banking sector counters, especially NDB and Sampath Bank, performed well while telecom sector counters, especially Dialog, were also active at the floor. Manufacturing sector, especially JKH, performed well too.
Yesterday the rupee was quoted at Rs 333.50/334.00 to the US dollar in the spot market from Rs 333.90/334.20 the previous day, while bond yields were down further as the market continued to rally, dealers said.
The telegraphic transfer rate for Sri Lanka’s rupee against the US dollar was 329.50 buying, Rs 338.50 selling; the euro was Rs 374.8506 selling, Rs 388.7676 buying; and the pound was Rs 433.7044 buying, Rs 447.7500 selling.
By Hiran H. Senewiratne
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