The World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) will invest up to USD 10 million in New Anthoney’s Farms. This funding will expand operations, strengthen efficiency, create jobs, and improve rural livelihoods in Sri Lanka.
The investment will include up to USD 5 million from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) Private Sector Window.
IFC’s investment will help New Anthoney’s Farms, Sri Lanka’s only fully antibiotic-free poultry producer, scale capacity and improve value chain efficiency. The project will expand access to safe, affordable poultry for domestic consumers.
The project is expected to create over 900 jobs and benefit at least 200 smallholder farmers through contract farming and out-grower schemes. Of these, 22% are projected to be women and 80% low-income earners.
Smallholders currently contribute around 40% of New Anthoney’s Farms’ production. The investment will improve their market access and productivity while supporting the company’s retail and franchise expansion. This will make all-natural poultry more widely available nationwide.
At full capacity, the company expects to export 1936 tons of poultry annually—around 10% of total output. This marks a 29% increase from 2024 levels and could generate up to USD 4.95 million in additional foreign exchange earnings by 2032. In 2024, New Anthoney’s Farms accounted for more than 90% of Sri Lanka’s poultry exports.
Sri Lanka’s poultry sector is a vital source of affordable protein and a key contributor to food security. Yet smallholder farmers, who represent 85% of farms, supply less than 30% of total output. Many face challenges in productivity, efficiency, and market access. Strengthening value chains and integrating smallholders into formal markets will support rural incomes, job creation, and export growth.
“Founded in 1986 as a smallholder enterprise, New Anthoney’s Farms is proud to enter its next phase of growth through a partnership with IFC,” said CEO Neil Suraweera. “This collaboration represents a paradigm shift for us, reinforcing our commitment to world-class governance, transparency, and operational excellence, while upholding the highest standards of social and environmental sustainability. We believe this marks a transformative moment for Sri Lanka’s poultry industry and sets a new benchmark for responsible agribusiness in emerging markets.”
Carsten Mueller, Regional Industry Director, Manufacturing, Agribusiness and Services at IFC Asia Pacific, added, “IFC’s investment in a leading agribusiness like New Anthoney’s will help build a more efficient and resilient poultry sector and support the scale-up of exports.
“By expanding modern, sustainable, all‑natural production, New Anthoney’s Farms is expected to increase access to fresh products and lower costs, while strengthening food security and creating jobs and opportunities for smallholder farmers across the value chain.”
Aligned with the World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Framework for Sri Lanka, IFC’s investment supports private sector-led job creation while strengthening food security and resilience. 
IFC is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. It works in more than 100 countries, using its capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries.
IIn fiscal year 2025, IFC committed USD 71.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries.
It leveraged private sector solutions and mobilized capital to help create a world free of poverty on a livable planet.
New Anthoney’s Farms, founded in 1986, is one of Sri Lanka’s leading fully integrated poultry producers, operating across the entire value chain from breeding and feed manufacturing to processing, value-added products, distribution, exports, and retail.
A pioneer in sustainable and responsible agribusiness, the group is Sri Lanka’s first Green Certified poultry producer, the first to implement Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Measurement and Verification Certification, the first company in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa authorized to use the Sustainable US Soy label, and a leader in internationally recognized Animal Welfare Certification.
With annual revenues exceeding USD 60 million, the group plays a vital role in national food security while supporting thousands of livelihoods through direct employment and its extensive farmer network.
The Private Sector Window of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) is flagship blended finance platform for mobilizing private investment into smallholder-linked agribusinesses in frontier markets.
Managed by IFC, and supported by the governments of Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK and the US, it provides long and short-term loans, credit guarantees, equity, and technical assistance to private sector companies and financial intermediaries.
It links smallholder farmers to markets by improving their access to finance, technology, expertise, and inputs.
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