SLAF commends President’s plan to plant 3mn jackfruit trees

• Proposes  comprehensive implementation plan

 Sri Lanka Agripreneurs’ Forum (SLAF), as the leading agribusiness association in Sri Lanka, yesterday commended the President’s plan to plant 3 million jackfruit trees as a part of the government’s food security programme to create a local and foreign jackfruit market and to promote jackfruit among the Sri Lankan people. 

“This ambitious plan will not only help in addressing concerns regarding national food security but also boost the economy by creating new job opportunities and promoting agriculture-based industries,” SLAF statement said. SLAF has continued to advocate for developing value chains in Sri Lanka and as part of that has devised a comprehensive value-chain approach to develop a sustainable jackfruit project in Sri Lanka. 

Through this initiative, SLAF has identified the ideal varieties of jackfruit that are most suitable to be cultivated in Sri Lanka’s different agroecological zones with the potential of being developed into commercial-scale cultivation. 
“Through our collaborative endeavours with our partners, SLAF has also managed to develop a complete financial model on the cost dynamics of implementing such a project and the potential it has in uplifting the Sri Lankan agribusiness sector. 

Furthermore, SLAF has identified multiple mechanisms for adding value to the raw jackfruit in order to maximise profits in the global markets,” SLAF said.

Having done the necessary background work, SLAF is currently involved in implementing a pilot project to launch the larger initiative of developing the Sri Lankan jackfruit market with the intention of bringing in significant foreign revenue while establishing a prototype for other companies and organisations to follow.

“We are committed to working closely with State authorities and local communities to ensure the success of this initiative. By promoting sustainable agriculture and value chain development, we can build a better and more prosperous future for our country and the world,” SLAF said.