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"It is essential that political stability should prevail throughout the country if the people are to reap the maximum benefits from various development projects that have sprung up around the country after the Government ushered in peace to which it is totally committed," So said Prof. G. L. Peiris, Minister of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy, Investment Promotion and Constitutional Affairs at a public meeting held at Galgamuwa recently.

The meeting followed the ceremonial inauguration of the Galgamuwa Janatha Export Processing Company which is a joint venture between the Export Development Board and the Ministry of Rural Economy.

Prof. Peiris said that since the opening of this business venture, started with an infusion of a capital of Rupees 27 million under the Export Village concept of the EDB. It has been possible for farmers to sell their agricultural products such as fruits and lime totalling Rupees 70 million during the last six months alone and the net profits for the farmers have amounted to Rupees 4 million.

He said that there was a wide disparity between the prices paid to farmers and those paid by the consumers in urban areas. The Government has made a very serious effort to reduce this disparity to a satisfactory and acceptable level with a view to help the farmer as well as the consumer. The EDB has embarked upon this concept and it is a very simple but fruitful and practical idea. The main objective of this concept is to make use of private sector production facilities to buy, process and export the wide variety of agro - products and fruits that are produced in our villages but hitherto perished due to lack of markets.

The Galgamuwa Janatha Export Processing (Pvt.) Limited is a joint venture between Cecil Foods Company which has invested 51% of the share capital while the Samurdhi Authority has contributed 28%. Ministry of Rural Economy and the EDB have contributed 16% and 5% respectively. Initially, the Company would buy fruits and other products from a network of 100 out-grower farmers in the Galgamuwa area for processing and export. They would expand this network to include 2000 farmers at the second stage and a model farm would also be created to supply them with the necessary plant material and relevant technology. The farm would create direct job opportunities for 50 people.

Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Samurdhi S. B. Dissanayake, Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Minister of Irrigation and Water Management, Bandula Gunawardena, Minister of Rural Economy and Deputy Minister of Finance, Indika Bandaranayake, Deputy Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, L. S. G. Thilakarathne, Director General, EDB and Mrs, Jayantha Bulumulla, District Secretary, Kurunegala were among those who spoke.

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