On the 14th of November 2023, renowned Sri Lankan food brand KIST commemorated a new initiative to bolster the use of locally sourced tomatoes for value addition to its KIST sauce range, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) CATALYZE Sri Lanka Private Sector Development (PSD) Activity. In an event held at the KIST manufacturing facility in Katana, Cargills Food and Beverage Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cargills (Ceylon) PLC signed buy-back agreements, with 40 selected farmers hailing from Thanamalwila and Thambuttegama. Dennis Wesner, USAID/Sri Lanka and Maldives’ Economic Growth Deputy Office Director, and Arjuna Kumarasinghe, the Managing Director of Cargills Food and Beverage Limited attended the ceremony.
Participating farmers in this program will receive guidance on good agricultural practices to ensure that tomatoes earmarked for KIST sauce production adhere to global standards. Through this partnership with the private sector, USAID’s PSD activity is providing high-tech agricultural equipment and materials, while Cargills Bank is offering loans to farmers to meet their working capital requirements. Cargills Food and Beverage Limited, assures a buy-back contract to purchase tomatoes seasonally, provides technological expertise in agricultural modernization, and extends support to minimize post-harvest losses.