SLAF to hold webinar on organic and inorganic agri-inputs

Sri Lanka Agripreneurs’ Forum (SLAF) is the premier agribusiness association inSri Lankan representing growers, farmer organizations, agri value-addition enterprises, agri professionals & academics, agri scientists, local and global marketers of agri produce, providers of agri inputs, and local agri investors thereby serves as the pivotal body for all of the agribusiness communities in Sri Lanka.

The agriculture sector employs over three million people, both directly and indirectly, throughout Sri Lanka who are highly vulnerable to economic shocks. 

As such, the SLAF has continuously engaged with all key stakeholders including the highest echelons of government to push for the speedy transformation of the agribusiness sector.  We strongly believe the coming together of a well-diversified agribusiness association, representing all levels of the stake holders in the private sector to collaboratively work and support the government to uplift the agribusiness sector in Sri Lanka; will certainly bring an immense change within a short span of time. This would lead to a speedy transformation of the agriculture sector in Sri Lanka for betterment of all stakeholders.

In the light of new regulations and the national policy level decisions enacted and implementedin relation to the inorganic fertilizers and agro-chemicalsby the state authorities; the fundamentals of the conventional agro dynamics practices are challenged and many stakeholders forecastopportunities and challenges ahead. 

For us to understand why this particular national policy level change has been quite speak-worthy, is because almost as high as 30 percent of the primary workforce of Sri Lanka is involved in the agribusiness sector.

Currently among the agribusiness stakeholders; different schools of thought emerge with opposing sentiments and reflections around the restricting the importation of the inorganic fertilizers and agro-chemicals. Agripreneurs’ of today’s Sri Lanka are most certainly impacted neutrality, positively or negatively by the current situation primarily as growers and suppliers of agricultural produce domestically consumed, and exported. 

SLAF has come together to realize the timely importance of creating an open yet awell guidedconstructive dialogue including challenges, opportunities that associates with the agricultural sector are presented currently. 
To share more insights on the new regulations, operational procedures, licencing mechanisms, inorganic-to-organic transition possibilities, learnings from other markets and to discuss the situational synopsis,a panel of prominent agribusiness leaders have come together.

The speakers will comprise of speakers will comprise of Ranjith Bandara, Chairman, CropLife - Sri Lanka; Amal Arunapriya, Ex-Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture; Suresh De Mel, Chairman, Export Development Board; and the panellists shall be Suresh Ellawala, Chairman, Lanka Fruit & Vegetable Producers Processors and Exporters Association; Jayantha Rajapaksha, Executive Committee Member, SLAF; and the session shall be moderated by Nirmal Hettiarachchi, Executive Committee Member, SLAF.

The webinar is to be held on September 2nd commencing at 5.00 p.m. on Microsoft Teamsplatform.
All interested participants to attend this webinar are kindly requested to e-mail their full name, and contact number to [email protected] to register for the webinar.