Global Rubber Industries Pvt. Ltd. (GRI) has opened its newest rubber collection center in Sri Lanka as part of the company's Green X Circle initiative.
"GRI is on a continuous journey to strengthen its natural rubber farmer base, as well as support the growth of farmer communities," say company officials.
The new center "provides noteworthy benefits to the rubber farmer community, where GRI focuses on forming a close relationship with farmers, ensuring a fair price for natural rubber, as well as providing capacity-building programs to enhance the yield and sustainability of the rubber produced."
The Sri Lanka-based manufacturer's Green X Circle program connects rubber farmers "to the crop farmer, who is the end user of GRI agricultural tires, both in Sri Lanka and globally," notes GRI CEO Dr. Mahesha Ranasoma,
"We manufacture the tires using the rubber produced by the rubber farmer and the crop farmer uses the tires to produce his harvest, which in turn is consumed by us as food. The Green X Circle is a sustainable ecosystem that brings all stakeholders together.”
GRI also has announced that it is working with the Rubber Research Institute of Sri Lanka to provide training for natural rubber famers.
Farmers were recently taken on a live, virtual tour of GRI manufacturing facilities.
GRI showed how rubber harvested by farmers "eventually becomes an internationally renowned, high-quality tire," say GRI officials.