Agriculture is one of the most important sector of the Sri Lankan economy and it a source of employment for the majority of the Sri Lankan workforce.  Entrepreneurship is the mind set and process to create and develop economy by blending risk-taking, creativity and innovation with sound management. The growth of small and medium Agro Entrepreneurship significantly, either directly or indirectly influences the economy and the society of the Nation.

Most of the businesses around the world collapsed during the Covid 19 pandemic, but the businesses along the agri-food supply chains benefited. Therefore, most of the people in Sri Lanka focused on Agribusiness start-ups ranging from farmer gate to retail level. Also, the current government in the country have set up policies to uplift the domestic agricultural production and to strengthen the agri-food supply chains.

Economically, North Western province (NWP) is Sri Lanka's second most important region. It accounts for about one-tenth of total output and has an economy that is heavily dominated by services. The agricultural sector is also relatively well developed and has the potential to drive further growth and raise employment. But, there is indeed a vacuum in the level of support and encouragement by the institutions to harness the knowledge, skills and passion of agro-entrepreneurs in the North Western province. 

With over 50 years of experience in education and training, NIBM recognized the need for focused development in the agriculture sector and initially established the Center for Agribusiness  Technology (CAT) at its Kurunegala campus. This center was created to provide sustainable, innovative, and hi-tech solutions for aspiring agro-entrepreneurs in the North Western Province. Building on the success and growing demand, the initiative was later expanded and elevated to form the Faculty of Agriculture, further strengthening NIBM’s commitment to modern agricultural education and entrepreneurship development.