USAID helps Trinco food producers secure certification

Tuesday, 31 January 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Identified as a strategic sector by USAID, the U.S. Embassy’s development arm, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in employment growth, income generation, and poverty alleviation.

After attending seminar, three Trincomalee food producers received certificates for good manufacturing practices under the Sri Lanka Standards Code for food hygiene on 11 January. The certificates will help the producers gain new access to markets, meaning higher profits.

“I never even dreamt of getting this certificate: USAID provided me with tremendous support, encouragement and guidance,” said Sisira Sweets owner K. G. Ranjith Sisira Kumara.

Kumara ran his business from a makeshift hut before the recent training provided by the USAID, but now maintains hygienic work spaces. Sisira Sweets and over 30 other SMEs attended a USAID-supported seminar on ‘Increasing Market Access by Upgrading Your Business with Required Standards.’

However, many Sri Lankan SMEs think certification is beyond their reach and too costly. “The aim of this initiative was to encourage SME certification by clarifying its benefits and explaining how it is acquired,” said USAID Sri Lanka Mission Director James F Bednar.

Certified food producers enjoy improved access to supermarkets and other outlets, resulting in higher sales and profits, and more secure jobs for employees. SMEs in other lines of business may see comparable benefits, which flow through to their suppliers in the form of increased sales.

The American people, through the US Agency for International Development, have provided development and humanitarian assistance in developing countries worldwide for nearly 50 years. Since 1956, the US government has invested over $2 billion to benefit all the people of Sri Lanka.