Kegalle, Sri Lanka – In Kegalle, Sri Lanka, Disna is known for her vibrant cut-flower cultivation and plant nursery, an enterprise she has nurtured with care and determination. As a member of the Uththamavi Women Agri Entrepreneurs Society, she is one of many women transforming their passion for plants into a sustainable livelihood.
Disna’s journey began with the support of a state agricultural extension officer, who helped organize a small group of flower growers in her village. The group started with just eight members but has since grown to 24. Together, they sell their plants individually through various plant exhibitions organized by different institutions.
It was during one of these exhibitions that Disna first learned about the Uththamavi Agri Entrepreneurs Society. Recognizing the advantages of working collectively, such as shared learning, stronger networks, and access to opportunities, she decided to join. Since then, she has also encouraged other members of her village’s flower growers group to become part of Uththamavi.
Weathering the pandemic
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Disna’s business faced severe setbacks. With travel restrictions and event cancellations, exhibitions stopped, and no customers could visit her nursery. Without sales, she struggled to maintain her plants and keep the nursery alive.
Amid this uncertainty, the ARISE-Farmers program, implemented by SANASA through Uththamavi, became a lifeline. With access to an ARISE loan, Disna was able to sustain her nursery operations and improve her seedling stock. This allowed her to preserve her plants until restrictions eased and markets reopened.
When Uththamavi resumed organizing flower exhibitions and customers began returning, Disna was ready. Her well-maintained nursery and healthy stock of plants enabled her to quickly recover her business and income.
The importance of timely support
Disna’s experience highlights a critical lesson for small agri-entrepreneurs: maintaining production capacity during crises is key to recovery. However, without income, sustaining a nursery for an extended period is nearly impossible unless there are savings or external support mechanisms.
The ARISE-Farmers program, designed to assist farmers whose livelihoods were severely affected by the pandemic, provided that essential bridge. Disna’s prior engagement with Uththamavi allowed her to easily access ARISE funds, demonstrating the importance of being connected with organizations that support small entrepreneurs even in difficult times.
Despite the pandemic’s challenges, Disna managed to keep her nursery thriving, participate in group sales, and prepare for the post-crisis recovery. Once markets reopened, she was able to sell her plants immediately—thanks to her foresight and the assistance she received.
Partnerships that work
The ARISE loans were distributed by SANASA through the Uththamavi Women Agri Entrepreneurs Society, ensuring that the funds were used effectively and for their intended purposes. Because the lending platform was already established between Uththamavi (sub-national farmers’ organization) and the local flower growers’ society, and because Disna was already familiar with the process, the loan was executed quickly and efficiently.
Although her biggest challenge was maintaining the nursery without steady income due to decreased purchasing power among customers, Disna persevered. The strong trust and accountability built within Uththamavi meant that members were committed to using funds responsibly and repaying on time—strengthening both their businesses and their organization.
Lessons learned
- Delivering loans aligned with the beneficiaries’ cultivation plans ensures timely and effective results.
- Using existing lending platforms that have already been tested with selected beneficiaries allows smooth implementation with minimal monitoring.
- Supporting entrepreneurs in marketing their products and purchasing inputs collectively helps reduce costs and stabilize cash flow.
Recommendations
In normal circumstances, entrepreneurs typically have loan repayment periods of 2–3 years. However, during crises when cash flow is low, financial institutions are often reluctant to lend. The ARISE loan provided much-needed relief, allowing businesses like Disna’s to stay afloat until conditions improved.
If the ARISE loan could be made available through the National Implementing Agency (NIA) for longer tenures, farmer organizations (FOs) and secondary-level national FOs (SNFOs) could design more organized cash flow recovery programs for each client—ensuring more resilient enterprises in the long term.
The Assuring Resiliency of Family Farmers (ARISE-Farmers) program was first launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to empower farmers’ groups to meet their members’ needs and ensure food security during the crisis. The succeeding phase of the program continues its mission to help family farmers become more resilient and self-reliant. It focuses on strengthening the capacities of farmers’ organizations (FOs) to manage production support for their members while expanding partnerships with governments, private sector actors, and financial institutions. Through this approach, ARISE addresses the persistent financing gap and helps smallholder farmers gain better access to markets.
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