The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has entered into a strategic partnership with Brown & Company PLC to expand access to modern agricultural machinery and technology, strengthening both institutions’ efforts to support farmers and agri-entrepreneurs amid Sri Lanka’s broader push for sector modernisation.
The agreement, formalised through a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will enable farmers to obtain machinery and equipment marketed by Browns Agriculture through special leasing facilities offered under Commercial Bank’s Agri Lease and Diribala Green Development Loan Scheme. The initiative aims to boost mechanisation, productivity and sustainability in the agriculture sector while widening financial access for SMEs.
Under the partnership, Browns Agriculture will provide a suite of exclusive benefits to customers purchasing equipment through this promotion. These include a free first-year insurance cover for selected two-wheel drive tractors, multiple labour-free service packages for tractors, Yanmar and Sumo harvesters, and a free first-year IoT-based remote monitoring and equipment-tracking platform for SUMO Automated Rice Milling Machines. Each SUMO rice mill will also carry a one-year warranty for manufacturing defects along with a labour-free service in the first year.
Commercial Bank said the partnership reinforces its commitment to promoting smart, eco-friendly farming solutions by supporting the adoption of advanced machinery and sustainable practices. It noted that improving technology access is critical to raising productivity, reducing operating costs, and strengthening climate resilience and national food security.
The Bank added that the initiative goes beyond financing by helping farmers acquire the technical know-how required to operate modern machinery effectively, taking what it described as a “holistic approach” to agricultural development.
Browns Agriculture, a pioneer in the sector since 1875, played a central role in Sri Lanka’s green revolution with the introduction of the island’s first four-wheel tractor—Massey Ferguson—in 1952. Today, the company operates a nationwide distribution network of more than 130 dealers and 11 showrooms, and positions the MoU as part of its continuing mission to support the next generation of agri-entrepreneurs.
Commercial Bank, Sri Lanka’s largest private-sector lender and the biggest financier of the SME sector, is the country’s first bank to exceed US$1 billion in market capitalisation and the first to be ranked among the world’s Top 1000 Banks. It also holds the largest capital base among local banks and is Sri Lanka’s first 100% carbon-neutral bank. The institution operates an extensive local branch and ATM network, alongside a growing regional footprint spanning Bangladesh, the Maldives, Myanmar and the Dubai International Financial Centre.
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