Cargills: “Village to Home” – Recommenced at Cargills Square Dematagoda

“Cargills: Village to Home” – an initiative by Cargills was created with the intention of strengthening and building the country’s budding SME entrepreneurs by offering them a platform to engage with a wider network of customers. Launched in September 2020, this programme had to be put on hold for a short while due to the constraints of the pandemic. Previously held at Pelawatte, Kandana, Malabe, Rawathawatta and Koswatta, these programmes were well received by the general public.

We recommenced this initiative at Cargills Square Dematagoda over the last week end (13th & 14th of November) inviting a selected few local entrepreneurs as partners to promote their diverse range of products in demarcated stalls. An exciting array of products including handloom & handicraft, Cane & Reed craft, Mushroom based products, traditional Ayurvedic herbal products, sweet meats and a variety of snacks were on offer.

On the first day of the programme, Mr. Nihal Liyanage, Additional Director, Regional Development Unit, Central Bank graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Cargills Ceylon PLC Deputy Chairman Mr Ranjit Page, Cargills Bank Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer Mr Senarath Bandara along with team members from both organisations were also present, joining the customers who supported our local entrepreneurs by trying out their products.

Given the ongoing situation, all the necessary health and safety guidelines were strictly adhered to during this programme in order to ensure a safe environment for all those who visited these stalls.

The local SMEs who participated in this twoday programme, were very grateful not just because of the lucrative income they managed to generate which is a rarity given the difficult times we are facing as a country at present, but also because of the technical expertise they gained working closely with the Cargills team.

The thinking behind this initiative was to broaden the reach of our local SMEs by giving them a broader marketplace. We also strive to further improve their livelihoods by sharing our technical expertise in terms of packaging, marketing and quality assurance. Cargills Bank has continued to provide financial support to SME entrepreneurs, helping them to grow and serve a larger market allowing them to take their businesses to greater heights.

Moving forward, we will continue to host Cargills : “Village to Home” at selected Food City outlets broadening our reach to as many local SMEs as possible, and working closely with them. We warmly invite you to join us in supporting our local entrepreneurs.