CCC seminar on fruits, vegetables

From left - CSC Agribusiness (Pvt) Ltd Agri Education General Manager Senarath De Zoysa, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Secretary General and CEO Harin Malwatte, IFCO Chairman Sarath De Silva and HJS Condiments Ltd, Director Ananda Pathirage.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) organized a very informative seminar focusing mainly on the fruits and vegetables sectors recently. Approximately 40 participants mainly from the agricultural sector and related service organizations attended the seminar.

This seminar was a follow-up of the Roundtable Forum on Small and Medium Agro-Processing Enterprises (SMAE) Development held in Malaysia last month at which IFCO Chairman Sarath De Silva, H J S Condiments Ltd Director A Pathirage and CIC Agribusiness Agri Education, Training and Consultancy for National Agriculture Development General Manager Senarath de Zoysa participated.

These three representatives shared the experience they gained at the forum with their fellow members. Sarath Silva who made the presentation spoke on the business models for procurement from small farmers, product innovation, differentiation, branding and labelling, quality management and compliance with standards, supply chain efficiency and logistics, enabling policies and public goods, financial services and the private sector support institutions such as commodity associations, Chambers of Agriculture and Commerce, Industry Federations etc.

Silva, Pathirage and De Zoysa agreed to assist those interested in aspects of modern training practices and any other advice relevant to the fruits, vegetables and agriculture sectors.