"The USAID funding given for the upliftment of the agri business in Sri Lanka has been proved to be sustainable. But Sri Lanka needs to focus more on agri business, mainly in bringing it to the competitive global market. 48-50% of the GDP comes from the Western Province. Rest is contributed by the other provinces, where agriculture is the main source of income. Thus agri business needs more attention and interest.We should promote the markets chain and supply to access new market. And in this issue, partnership between private and public sector is indispensable" said Rebecca Cohn, Director of USAID Mission at the 7th AGM of the National Agri Business Council recently.

Asoka Gopallawa was appointed as the new chairman of NAC.

In the speech given by the immediate past president, Sarath de Silva, he noted vital factors on, agri business and the contribution of NAC to the agri business in Sri Lanka.

Rising prices have plunged an additional 75 million people below the hunger threshold, bringing the estimated number of under nourished people world-wide to 923 million in 2007. According to new figures just released by the UN agency in advance of next week’s general assembly session on the MDGS.

High food prices have reversed the previously positive trend towards achieving the millenium goal of reducing by half the proportion of people suffering from hunger world-wide by 2015.

According to hafaz Ghanem, FAO Assistant Director General for Economic and Social Development, the devastating effects of high food prices on the number of hungry people compound already worrisome long term trends. Hunger increased as the world grew richer and produced more food than ever during the last decade.These negative trends in the fight against hunger imperil efforts to realise many of the other mdgs.

He further noted that breaking the hunger-poverty traps reducing the number of hungry people by 500 million in the remaining seven years to 2015 will require an enormous and resolute global effort and concrete actions.