Keells drives sustainable agricultural practices through innovation and collaboration

Keells, as a leading retailer over the last 30 years, has been working with Sri Lankan farmers across the country sourcing produce, resulting in the farmers who put quality first enabling Keells to provide fresh produce loved by all customers. 

Operating with the core purpose of ‘improving the quality of life for the nation’, Keells ensures this also applies to the farming communities we engage with for sustainable growth. Keells works with 4000 plus farmers to source produce across seven collection centres in Thambuthegama, Sooriyawewa, Pannegamuwa, Kappetipola, Dambulla, Jaffna and Kadawatha.

In the recent past, Keells in collaboration with several parties adopted an approach of ‘Farming for the future’, which consists of a holistic approach to farming, with the end objective of growing quality produce whilst improving soil quality, saving water and reducing dependency on herbicides and pesticides as well as fertiliser. 

Ensuring this harvested produce remains fresh, Keells delivers it within 24 hours from the farm to the store. A three-stage quality check guarantees customers get the fresh produce they wish to purchase allowing them to taste real freshness. The field officers of Keells share knowledge and expertise regularly with farmers supporting them through any challenges they face. Training and awareness on financial literacy is provided to ensure the farming community also benefit in the long run as a result of this partnership. 

Keells in collaboration with the Smallholder Agribusiness Partnerships Programme (SAPP), which is implemented by the Agriculture Ministry, together with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has disseminated the right technology for effective irrigation and water conservation, crop protection, farmer mechanisation and post-harvest handling.

These implementations will enable higher productivity, reduce losses and yield safe and quality produce. Implementation of drip irrigation and poly mulching will conserve 60 percent of water consumption and increase productivity by 25 percent to 30 percent whilst insect proof netting reduces the cost incurred on pesticides by up to 80 percent. Use of nursery trays and transplanters at farms eases the work load while aiding crop quality.

The partnership has also facilitated 25 green houses to be completed in Kappetipola. The controlled environment helps farmers manage the inputs, extend the growing season and keep most pests at bay. The processes followed by the farmers support them to obtain Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) Certification in future – thus, driving responsible agriculture and consumption habits, said Keells Supermarkets Head of Fresh Produce Mifrah Ismail. 
Of the 490 farming units, the majority are progressing towards achieving the GAP certification. This programme includes popular range of vegetables and fruits to being harvested, such as carrots, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, brinjals to bananas. As more farmers embark on this journey and succeed the roll out of these techniques to more farming units can be expected. 

Keells in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is also supporting 50 farming families to be resettled in the North with capacity building programmes.  

In an age where making a living out of agriculture is increasingly becoming a challenge, due to climatic changes, shortage of fertiliser, modernisation and more elderly farmers left to tend to farming, Keells in collaboration with the SAPP and IFAD is providing youth with the necessary knowledge, training and financial support to use their entrepreneurial skills to manage sustainable framing units. This will give birth to an era of youth agripreneurs, who will be adept at using innovative farming technologies in their livelihood. 

Working towards  10 percent of these farming units to be  managed by females, which Keells believes will inspire the entrepreneurial spirit in more females to become agripreneurs. 

“It’s an exemplary public and private company partnership being implemented for the farmer community with the SAPP, IFAD and Keells,” said SAPP Director Dr. Yasantha Mapatuna.

She further added, “This partnership will enable to transform and commercialise farmer units and farmers. The trust that is built because of the results and collaborative efforts will enable more initiatives to be carried out in the future for the betterment of farmers and for our country.”