The Cargills ‘Sarubima’ fund has invested Rs. 25 million to present 774 scholarships to farmer children who have excelled academically this year. The event was held in Meerigama on Thursday.
The awardees include 194 Grade 5 students, 375 Advanced Level students, 158 university students, and 47 vocational training students.
Over 2,500 scholarships have been awarded to farmer children since the fund’s inception, and over 100 community projects have been completed, including water purification projects, school libraries, and upgrading sanitary facilities in rural schools.
Thirty-two community development projects have also been planned, including farmer health and eye camps, and water supply and sanitary facility projects that are desperately needed by some rural schools and hospitals.
The ‘Sarubima’ Fund was expanded to all Cargills vegetable, fruit, and milk collection centres in 2014, benefiting over 20,000 agri and dairy farmers nationwide. With the launch of the Agriculture Modernisation Project in 2018, Cargills ‘Sarubima’ took a step toward national agriculture development. This project serves as a model for the sustainable, profitable, and environment-friendly production of a variety of ‘GAP’ certified fresh produce.
‘Sarubima’ reflects the company’s commitment to empower rural agribusiness and dairy farmers.
Cargills has been able to help thousands of farmers across the country thanks to its extensive farmer outgrower network and ongoing investments in developing sustainable markets.
The company’s agri-value chain has also established itself as one of the most successful in the country by investing in collection centres, which allow direct collection from farmers, and the introduction of refrigerated trucks and improved logistics. Some of its most notable accomplishments include reducing post-harvest fruit and vegetable losses and removing middlemen from the supply chain, resulting in lower prices for consumers while ensuring higher prices for farmers.
Cargills has improved the productivity, quality, and sustainability of farmers’ production, thereby improving rural livelihoods and transforming traditional farmers into agri-entrepreneurs.
The company set up the ‘Sarubima’ farmer welfare fund in Thanamalwila in 2008 by contributing 50 cents for every kilogram of produce purchased from farmers to launch an educational scholarship program for farmers’ children who excel in Grade 5, Ordinary Level, and University Entrance exams. This contribution is still being continued.