Cooperative Movement

In 1939, Vincent Subasinghe laid the foundation for the Sandalanka Cooperative, a humble venture that blossomed into "Asia's Largest Cooperative." His visionary leadership transformed the cooperative movement, empowering farmers and landowners not only in Sandalanka but also across the Sathkorala region. Through his guidance, the cooperative enterprise diversified its activities, encompassing coconut milling, copra plantations, manufacturing, retail, and healthcare services. Based on his pinioning efforts in popularizing multi-purpose cooperatives across Sri Lanka, Vincent Subasinghe was called “King of Cooperatives in Sri Lanka” and was awarded the title “Sridhara” in 1958.

Vincent Subasinghe personally visited and studied international cooperative movement in the countries such as United Kingdom and India. He adopted the concepts of the cooperative movement to locally relevant industries and purposes. Under his leadership Sandalankawa Multi-purpose Cooperative was a dynamic business offering more than 30 services in various industries. The cooperative operated a coconut mill, hand-loom operation, retail business, transport service, fully-pledge hospital, agriculture and animal farm, cinema, textile manufacturing business, industrial village, spare parts business and a food storing and distribution network. At its peak, Sandalanka Cooperative generated several thousands of jobs for the low-income families of the region. In keeping with the principles of the cooperative movement, Sandalanka Multipurpose Cooperative distributed its surplus income among its members and reinvested back to the business. Vincent Subasinghe, as the founder chairman of Sandalankawa Cooperative was particularly enthusiastic about the innovation of the business model of the organization and introducing more business activities for its beneficiaries. He was actively engaged in supporting to start cooperatives across the country. Some of the products were even exported to countries such as USSR, China, Czechoslovakia and Europe. Sanadalanka was known as the Centre of Cooperative Movement in the country and Vincent Subasinghe was called “ The King of Cooperative Movement” in Sri Lanaka. He was invited to deliver speeches and conduct lectures on the cooperative movement in many parts of the world. Many international delegates from around the world visited Sandalankawa Cooperative for study purpose.

A list of high level delegates to Sandalakawa Cooperative,

• ICA Education Centre, New Delhi
• Co-operative Federation from West Germany
• Corporative Development Department from Malaysia
• Corporative Development Department from Scotland
• Regional Circle on Management, Bangkok
• International Farm Youth Organization, USA
• United Coconut Corporation, New York
• Credit Cooperative Society, Nepal
• London Corporative Overseas Development Organization, England
• Federation of Farmers Management Service Dept., Sweden
• International Cooperative Alliance, India
• Ministry of Agriculture, India
• Minister of Commerce from Tanzania
• Director General of Small scale Industrial Development, Tanzania
• National Agriculture Cooperative Association in Soul, Korea
• Manila University, Philippines
• National Corporative Union, Singapore
• Kyoto University, Japan
• ILO Regional Office & Education, New Delhi
• Planning and Evaluation Officer of Cooperative League, USA
• World Bank delegation
• FAO representatives, Jakarta
• Asian Region Office, International Labour Organization