Cargills (Ceylon) Ltd is empowering Sri Lanka’s youth to take up future positions of leadership in the group and to serve consumers throughout its retail chain with over 100 outlets spread across the island covering 22 districts.

Addressing the recent Sri Lanka Economic Summit sessions on enhancing competitiveness, Ranjit Page CEO , Cargils (Ceylon ) Ltd said, “We use our widespread retail network coupled with our direct link with the agricultural community and 5,600-strong, mainly youth work force to bring affordable and nutritious food to all Sri Lankans keeping pace with socio –economic evolutions. 70% of the direct employee base is below the age of 25 and 80% of them hail from rural Sri Lanka.”

He noted that his company is guided by three principles aimed at reducing the cost of living, enhance youth skills and bridge regional disparity. Outlining the company’s efforts to upgrade the skills of its youth employees, Mr.Page said that the Albert A. Page Institute of Food Business, a non- profit venture, designs and delivers job-oriented skills development programmes targeting the under privileged youth of Sri Lanka. The training they receive would enable them to secure lucrative jobs, giving them value in the global job market, he said.

He noted that the company has successfully ventured into product market diversification. Cargills has introduced the latest standards of food production and innovation to Sri Lanka’s food manufacturing sector. “Our highly-specialized manufacturing units produce meat products, dairy products and fruit/vegetable products under the brands of Cargills KIST, Cargills Magic, Cargills Quality Foods and Cargills Food City, utilizing only the finest home-grown raw materials With its Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise, Cargills has successfully fused an international brand with Sri Lankan tastes by developing a host of new dishes to suit local palates,” he said.