Banking
NDB and Hayleys Agriculture in partnership to empower local farmers
NDB recently entered into a partnership with Hayleys Agricultureto provide leasing facilities to farmers enabling them to purchase agricultural machinery at affordable prices. Accordingly, NDB will provide Leasing facilities allowing the purchase of a wide range of machinery including combine harvesters, 4-wheel and 2-wheel tractors, paddy transplanters , combine threshers and milking machines sold by Hayleys under international brand names such as Kubota, Farmtrac as well as HayleysAgriculture’s own brand Agrotech; which will be offered to farmers at special reduced prices. Through the agreement, farmers will have access to NDB Leasing facilities at concessionary interest rates and flexible repayment terms while enjoying as much as Rs.50,000 worth of discounts on the machinery. Hayleys will also provide up to 2 years’ of warranty periods for selected machinery.
The photograph shows the agreement being exchanged between, Mr. Rizvi Zaheed, Managing Director of Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd and Mr. Indrajit Wickramsinghe. Chief Operating Officer of NDB. Also in the photograph are (from L to R) ; Ms. Jayanthi Dharmasena - Director of Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd, Mr. Amjad Rajap - General Manager, Agri Machinery Division of Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd, Mr. Raj Aboobucker - Vice President and Head of SME and Retail Banking of NDB and Ms. Delrene Seneviratne - Asst. Vice President and Head of Retail/SME Credit & Microfinance Strategy
Agriculture remains a cornerstone in Sri Lanka’s economy with more than 70% of the population living in rural areas depending on the industry for their livelihoods. Fuelled by the post-war economic rejuvenation and the continued administrative support, the sector contributed up to 11.1% to the country’s GDP last year. It is apparent that the Agriculture sector will continue to play an important role in the socio-economic development of the country in the ensuing development era. Growth in the industry especially in the domestic food production and export crop sectors will therefore be essential in ensuring food security, alleviating poverty, achieving self-reliance and overall economic development of the country. Hence supporting the industry is a task of national importance for which the deliberate private sector contribution will be necessary and timely.
Commenting on the partnership, Chief Operating Officer of NDB, Mr.IndrajitWirckramasighe said “We are indeed glad to partner Hayleys in this initiative which we believe will have a positive impact on the local farming community. As a bank committedtowards national development,NDB assumes the responsibility to contribute to the country’s development process and we continuously seek avenues to enhance and uplift local industry. Hence, this partnership is a yet another progressive step which reiterates our commitment towards empowering local entrepreneurs at the bottom of the pyramid.”
Elaborating on the benefits of this partnership, the Head of the Agri Machinery Division of Hayleys Agriculture, Mr. Amjad Rajap said“ We have been involved in the mechanization of farming activities for a long time and have found that using the right machinery could increase the quality of the harvest and reduce its cost of production. This agreement with NDB Bank would provide the farming community the opportunity to purchase world renowned brands such as Kubota, Farmtrac etc. at an affordable down payment and interest. Working closely with the NDB Bank, we look forward to taking the benefits of this scheme to the local farming community”
Hayleys Agriculture is a renowned supplier of a wide array of agricultural inputs and an agro produce exporterwith over 50 years’ of expertise in the sector. The extensive range of goods of Hayleys Agriculture is available in over 90% of agricultural outlets island wide catering to large scale agriculturalists, landscape artists, horticulturalists, professional gardeners, poultry and livestock breeders as well as ordinary farmers.
Hayleys Agriculture is also a trusted representative of international brand names such as Bayer CropScience – Germany,Monsanto – USA, Nufarm– Australia, Hipra– Spain and Kubota-Japan amongst others. Hayleys Agriculture is Sri Lanka’s largest fruit and vegetable exporter, accounting for 43% of the country’s exports and is a supplier to renowned brands including McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, Unilever and Heinz. NDB is one of the fastest growing banks in the country with NDB Group having regional operations in Maldives and Bangladesh.
The Bank offers a wide range of commercial banking services through its growing island-wide branch network, catering to an increasing customer base from all walks of life. Through the combined synergies of the diverse constituents of the NDB Group, its customers have access to a full range of banking and financial services; including project finance, corporate banking, SME lending, retail banking, investment banking, stock brokering and wealth management making NDB a truly Universal Bank.
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