Smallholder Plantations Entrepreneurship Development Programme
The Smallholder Plantations Entrepreneurship Development Programme (SPEnDP) was formulated by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in consultation with the Government of Sri Lanka and is executed by the Ministry of Plantation Industries. The SPEnDP seeks to achieve sustainable increase of incomes and living standards of the marginalised smallholder tea producers in the mid-county region and poor upland food crop farmers in the intermediate zone of Moneragala region who wish to take up rubber plantation.
Goal and the Objective
The goal of the programme is the improvement of livelihoods and social conditions of smallholder crop producers on sustainable manner. It is expected to achieve this through implementation of series of interventions aiming to:
(i) Strengthen beneficiaries’ capacity and skills through the formation of groups at the grassroots level.
(ii) Improve land tenure status and develop profitable and sustainable smallholder farming systems in accordance with the land suitability.
(iii) Increase land productivity via introducing suitable crop/livestock models with advance management technologies.
(iv) Increase profits for producers by improving post harvest handling, storage, and processing, marketing and public-private partnerships.
(v) Rural finance and credit services developed and expanded to finance investments by beneficiaries in agricultural and income generating activities.
The development objective of the Programme is to improve the livelihoods of marginalized smallholder tea producers of HADABIMA and Mahaweli resettlements in the mid country region and poor upland farmers in the intermediate zone of Moneragala district willing to take up rubber plantation.
The National Programme Coordinating Unit (NPCU) in Colombo, Mid -country sub-programme Management Unit (SPMU) in Gampola, and Moneragala SPMU in Moneragala implement SPEnDP.
Programme Funding, Cost and Duration
The IFAD Loan No. 712-LK for US $ 22.548 million became effective on 6 November 2007, six months after signing the loan agreement. The Programme completion is 6 November 2017 and loan closing is 6 months after completion. However, ERD of SL had suggested in 2010 reducing the programme period to seven years which is up to December 2014. The total cost now is US$ 28.04 million and this includes the funds from IFAD, GOSL, Beneficiaries, and PFIs. The programme ended its fifth year of implementation in December 2012.