Premium price for corn harvest in Vavuniya

Around 300 farmers in Vavuniya have been beneficiaries of a bountiful harvest received from a pilot corn cultivation project initiated by Plenty Foods a subsidiary of Ceylon Biscuits Limited.

The corn crop has been purchased at a premium price for production of Samaposha.

A disbursement of almost Rs 10 million has been made by the company to the farmers on the purchases.

The project was commenced in September last year as the company's support towards the Government's resettlement program by mobilizing the said farmers.

Plenty Foods signed forward sales contracts with those farmers assuring of purchasing their entire harvest for the production of Samaposha. The company extended its extension services through its extension network to disseminate the knowledge to the farmers with the agriculture inputs given to them under a scheme where the seeds have been supplied free of charge.

The company considers this to be the first step of an extensive agricultural programme envisaged, in the North and the North Eastern Provinces to help the re-settlers in the near future.