Mercy Corps Fair to boost Akkaraipattu food industry

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 February 2006, 17:37 GMT]
Two-day Food Processing Fair organized Mercy Corps, an international humanitarian organization which has its headquarters in the USA, UK and Hong Kong, began in Athaullah Auditorium at Akkaraipattu in Amparai district in the eastern province Saturday morning. Ms Jancie Yaden, Mercy Corps' Regional Programme Manager gave the inaugural address, sources said.

Food Processing Fair was organized to draw 125 enterprises in Amparai district, ranging from local food processors to national companies, with the aim of forging market links between the national-level service and equipment providers and small scale food processors in the Amparai district, Mercy Corps officials said. Local small scale businesses involved in milling, curd production, spice production, baking, fish drying, cashew roasting, value- added processing and other such activities will benefit from this event, officials said.

After the Food Processing Fair is completed, participating local individual producers or groups will be invited to compete for an estimated 20 grants of approximately three hundred thousand Sri Lanka Rupees to further develop their business. The hope is that these business or groups will have spotted new opportunities or technologies at the Fair that Mercy Corps could help them achieve with a follow-on small grant, Mercy Corps said in a press release.

"From reconstruction to economic recovery, Mercy Corps chose to focus on food processing since 45 percent of Amparai district is involved in the production of food. An early economic assessment of the country conducted by Mercy Corps cited food processing as a solid growth industry, with minimal capital investment and widespread impact on the processors in the district do not have access to improved food processing technologies, good processing standards or marketing information," Mercy Corps added in its press release.



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