Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-04-04

Smallholder Agribusiness Partnership Programme (SAPP) to encourage the rural agri-producers

- Having identified the weak linkages within the organizational levels of the Agricultural Production Sector in Sri Lanka and considering the success of the National Agribusiness Development Programme implemented with the objective of strengthening the coordination among the value chain partners, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has agreed to provide funds for the implementation of a Smallholder Scale Agribusiness Partnership Programme for strengthening of the smallholder agri‑producers. Under this programme, which is to be implemented giving priority to low income and agricultural districts, 57,500 low income rural households will reap benefits within the stretch of 6 years. The programme activated with a total investment of US $ 105 million will be implemented through the Presidential Secretariat. Accordingly, the proposal made by Maithripala Sirisena, H.E. the President to implement the project and to vest the authority with the Department of External Resources to conduct negotiations with the IFAD on the terms and conditions of the loan, was approved by the Cabinet.