ComBank joins Sri Lanka Army ‘Thuru Mithuru’ project to drive Sri Lanka towards self sufficiency

(Left image) Commercial Bank Chairman Dharma Dheerasinghe and Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva at the exchanging of the agreement and (Right, top and bottom) senior representatives of the Bank and the Army at the presentation and the agricultural machinery and equipment donated to the “Thuru Mithuru Nawa Ratak” project.

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has announced a partnership with the Sri Lanka Army to financially support the second phase of the ‘Thuru Mithuru Nawa Ratak’ initiative designed to transform Sri Lanka into a country self-sufficient in essential food.

The second phase entails cultivating 125 acres of land with the involvement of 150 low-income farming families to grow various crops in line with national requirements under the close supervision of the Security Forces Headquarters of the Central Province. The Sri Lanka Army will provide the necessary facilities and skills, and disseminate knowledge regarding effective cultivation to encourage these families to cultivate their own lands and help build domestic agronomy.

The funds donated by Commercial Bank CSR Trust will go towards the purchase of agricultural machinery and equipment including hand tractors, mini cultivators, mini rotary slashers, and a tine tiller; irrigation facilities such as ten 1000-litre water tanks and nine water pumps and 620 kgs of carrot, bean and maize seeds.

Commenting on the Bank’s involvement in this initiative, Commercial Bank Managing Director S. Renganathan said: “Commercial Bank has historically been one of the largest supporters of micro and SME in the agrarian sphere through the Bank’s Agriculture and Micro Finance Units because we believe this sector is the backbone of the rural economy of Sri Lanka. By funding this noble initiative of the Sri Lanka Army, we are now part of a greater plan to propel Sri Lanka towards food security and self-sufficiency. This aligns well with our aspirations for the country.”