Sri Lanka Insurance to help transform farmers to entrepreneurs

Sri Lanka Insurance (SLIC) is partnering with the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) as the insurance partner for "Agrisaviya", the first Agri-Business Management and Entrepreneurial Programme offered in Sri Lanka.

The Certificate in Agri-Business and Entrepreneurship (CABE) programme is a first-of-its-kind qualification available in Sri Lanka to transform farmers into “Agriprenureres (agriculture entrepreneurs)”, SLIC said in a media release.

The agriculture sector of Sri Lanka is one of the most important sources of employment for the majority of the workforce in Sri Lanka. Approximately 2.1 million persons or 25.5 per cent of the total employed population, are engaged in agriculture, inclusive of forestry and fishery. As the national insurer, Sri Lanka Insurance said it has always been keen on empowering the working population who are driving the economy forward. Being the insurance partner for the "Agrisaviya" is yet another initiative to uplift the living standards of those who are engaged in the agriculture sector while contributing towards the national development of Sri Lanka, it said.

Although 25.5 per cent of the population in Sri Lanka engages in agriculture, the sector’s contribution to GDP is as low as 7.3 per cent. Despite the geographical advantage of the country and the history of being an agriculture-based economy, Sri Lanka has a declining trend of contribution to the country’s production due to a lack of value additions. The “Agri Saviya “ programme will help bridge the knowledge gap of the sector with the contribution of Sri Lanka Insurance as the insurance partner.