PLENARY 2 - CAPACITY BUILDING THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY & KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
Diversification, Commercialization &
Scaling up of SMEs
Rizvi Zaheed
Managing Director, Hayleys Agriculture Holdings Ltd
Director, Hayleys PLC
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Goal of US$ 7000 per capita has to come from
inclusive growth from all provinces, led by SMEs
Strong development of infrastructure and quality
of life indicators a good base to build on
FDI important and big businesses can spur
growth…..but SMEs hold the key
SMEs – Individual pioneering entrepreneurs,
collaborative partnerships and transformational
organizations
Advantages of single-minded entrepreneurship
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Sri Lanka offers enormous
opportunities throughout the provinces
and regions – Eg. Agriculture
Sri Lanka’s amazing bio-diversity
Agriculture, Aquaculture, Dairy,
Horticulture, Fruits & Vegetables, AgriMechanization, Planting Materials, Agri
Services etc.
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Managing Business Risks
Addressing Natural Risks – Droughts,
Floods, Climate Change Effects
Developing a sustainable business
enterprise & wealth
Opportunities for strong integration into
local & global supply chains
Global Supply Chain Links
FROM FARMER TO GLOBAL MARKETS – The Role for SMEs
Inputs
Transformation
Distribution
Output
Grower/
Supplier
Manufacturer /
Processor
Distributor
Customers
Sunfrost
SME
HJS
Hayleys
Company/
Partner
Global
Markets
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Seaweed Farming and Processing for Export –
Northern Province (Off the seas of Mannar,
Kilinochchi and Jaffna Islands)
Partnering fisher families (currently 1000 and
targetting 3000 by mid-2015 and 10,000 by end2015)
Partnership agreements
Providing training and inputs
Processing, Logistics, Banking & Savings
Average additional monthly incomes of Rs 30,000
per family going upto Rs 45,000 per family by
early 2015
Strong role for SME participation and
entrepreneurship
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Floriculture – Build on local demand
Home gardens, Landscaping, Apartments
Expand product range, Concepts & Varieties
Markets in Middle East, Maldives, Asia
Innovative Concepts in Europe
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Identifying profitable product/market
segments
Building critical mass and capacity
Installing processes & systems
Product development & Branding
Quality as a way of life
Marketing Collaborations and Partnerships
Entrepreneurship and Transformational
Leadership
To many people, seaweed is merely something you see on the beach.
But it is also a plant used in the food industry – and not just for sushi.
Seaweed is grown almost like an agricultural crop, which is
subsequently used as a textural agent in a range of foods across the
world.
The Red Seaweed variety Kappaphycus is processed into carrageenan,
an ingredient that lowers the calorie content and adds texture
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Concept of Scale Economies
Establishing linkages – Forward & Backward
Developing small-holder partnerships – WIN-WIN
Outcomes
Trust and mutual dependencies
Financing & banking partnerships
Practical small steps
Constant strategic focus & planning ahead
Setting organizational succession
Appetite for risk
INNOVATION ! INNOVATION ! INNOVATION
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Developing a specific agenda for each current and
potential Small & Medium Enterprise
Learning from “Best Practices”
Role of Chambers in SME scaling up
Setting and re-defining structures and processes
Setting a business growth trajectory
Transformative leadership training
Value of the Triple Bottom Line – PEOPLE,
PLANET & PROFIT
“Success breeds Success”