A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Flower Growers’ Association of the Uva province and Hayleys Company enabling the company to purchase flowers from growers at a steady price continuously.
Under the MoU, the company will provide farmers with modern technology and equipment to increase the quality of flowers. The farmer association of ornamental flowers produces high - quality flowers for local and international markets with the assistance of Hayleys Company in Welimada, Uva Paranagama and Haputhale Divisional Secretariats in the Badulla District.
The agreement was signed in the presence of President Maithripala Sirisena at the Provincial Steering Committee Meeting on the Grama Shakthi programme in Badulla on May 21. The first installment of the state’s share for the implementation of the Grama Shakthi movement in Badulla (Rs. 22.5 million) and Moneragala (Rs. 16.5 million) Districts was also handed over by the President to the respective District Secretaries at the progress review.
Grama Shakthi, which is a concept of President Sirisena, is one of the key initiatives implemented to eradicate poverty. Instead of being a programme that brings people and the state together in the attempt to eradicate poverty as in most programmes implemented hitherto, Grama Shakthi People’s Movement brings together people, public and private sectors as essential stakeholders of poverty eradication. The aim is to ensure that the produce of farmers consistently gets a better price and access new markets while bringing in new technology. The movement helps people to get organised into people’s companies in order for them to negotiate with large private sector organisations on equal terms.
Grama Shakthi is implemented island-wide while districts with a higher incidence of poverty are prioritised.
The movement will cover 1,000 villages in its first phase and scale up to 5,000 villages by 2020.
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