His service to the agri sector in NWP will not be forgotten
I first met Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Chief Minister of the North Western Province, at a technical forum held in his office after office hours. My presence was most probably suggested to him by the government Department of Agriculture of NWP to seek technical guidance in my field of speciality (I was working at national level with the Department of Agriculture). The top brass of the technical departments of the NWP were there. I was awed by the Chief Minister’s integrity and decision-making process then and there with the relevant technical officers.
The task given to the agriculture sector was to find solutions for two glaring problems identified by a survey conducted by NWP after establishment of the provincial system. One was the ever increasing number of unemployed youth in the province and the other was fruit wastage during the glut period. Arrangements were made for the Chief Minister and the team to visit the in-service training institute, the Horticultural Crops Research and Development Institute and Food Research Unit, all located at Gannoruwa prior to the commencement of the problem solving project.
The solution for the two identified problems resulted in the formulation of a fruit preservation project for self-employment in the NWP. The project was planned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives of NWP under the guidance of the Chief Minister. My input was on the training component when the necessity arose.
It was remarkable to note that the Chief Minister gave a free hand to the ground level agriculture instructors of surplus fruit growing areas in the selection criterion of potential entrepreneurs.
A five-day residential training was conducted at Wariyapola district training centre using household level utensils as it was planned to be home-based enterprises. Lectures and practical demonstrations were conducted to develop their skills from the selection of fruits for preservation to storing of the final product. The services of external experts also were obtained in training these potential entrepreneurs (eg. those days CISIR). All these technical aspects were coordinated and implemented by the Department of Agriculture of NWP under the patronage of the Chief Minister. The confidence he demonstrated in the technical competence of agriculture officials at every stage of planning technicalities, execution and monitoring was noteworthy.
Not only the technical training but the essential requirements to commence a sustainable enterprise were included in the project proposal which was approved by the chief minister. A certificate was given to each trainee and basic equipment donated. The trainers grouped the trainees to form a society namely ‘Corporative Society of Fruit Producers of NWP’. They were given a loan scheme to purchase raw materials from the main government corporative outlet of NWP. Labels were issued free with the trade name of NWP for the first batch of their products.
The Chief Minister further strengthened and motivated these entrepreneurs by assisting them in marketing their homemade products and requested the retail outlets of government cooperatives to assist in marketing them. He openly requested consumers to purchase the products under the NWP label. He made it compulsory for the school cooperatives to include some products of the NWP label in the students’ monthly food card.
A major achievement for the Department of Agriculture of NWP was the stall allocated by the Chief Minister in the ‘Jana Kala Kendraya’ complex at the entry point to Kurunegala town. The Department of Agriculture of NWP named it as ‘Poshana Sala’ (nutrition stall). It was ceremonially opened in 1987.This was made the marketing outlet for the entrepreneurs trained by the agriculture officials of NWP on agro-based enterprises - the first ever state sponsored marketing outlet given to accommodate agrobased self employment ventures within the purview of the Department of Agriculture.
This strategy was adopted by many districts. The products in ‘Poshana Sala’ gradually expanded from preserved fruits, lentils, home garden produce to ready to consume items. eg. mushroom soup. This steady market became a turning point for many home level agro-based entrepreneurs to be empowered economically. The periodic training programmes on new technology, exposure to various social groups ( local and foreign ) and regular monitoring by agriculture officials of NWP made the ‘Poshana Sala’ group stronger in number and activities producing more consumer oriented items with time.
On a personal note I did my postgraduate research study focusing on the entrepreneurial approach of NWP. My learning process never ended with the thesis. Many more projects benefiting the voiceless emerged in the sphere of agriculture and women as I was able to acquire a reservoir of knowledge through the vision and team work of a chief who cared for the needy and observed the wastage of resources of his province.
Sir, you were blessed on this earth as you rendered your services to many to stand on their own feet with dignity and confidence. Many will witness in NWP the all island agro-based entrepreneurial rewards they won in terms of physical, financial assets, foreign tours etc honouring you.
May you attain blissful nirvana.
R.R. Samuel