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Lanka Phosphates Ltd recorded an excellent performance with the highest sales of 39,500 Mt. ever in its history for the financial year 2002/03. The revenue we earned is Rs. 150 million and there is about 5,000 Mt. increase in sales compared to the financial year 2001/02. The additional revenue we earned is Rs. 18 million compared to 2001/02.

The revived strategies adopted by Dayasiri Jayasekara, Chairman, Lanka Phosphate Ltd. in marketing have been instrumental in bringing about changes, which greatly contributed in making the year 2002/03, the best selling year in history.

Lanka Phosphates Ltd. is a fully Government institution coming under Minister G. L. Peiris, Ministry of Enterprise Development, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion. Phosphate deposits at Eppawala are considered to be one of the richest and most unique phosphate deposits in the world, Jayasekara said.

At present around 10,000 Mt. of Rock Phosphates are imported for which about Rs. 100 million is wasted every year. According to the Customs statistics, there is a visual disparity on Rock Phosphate imports. The question arises as to whether Eppawala Rock Phosphates fertilizer is sold as Imported Rock Phosphates or mixed with Imported Rock Phosphates and sold as Imported Phosphates. At present we consume about 38,000 Mt. of Eppawala Phosphate for a year.

If we have imported it, the cost might have been about Rs. 300 million for every year.

In short we save about Rs. 300 million annually by using this asset, he said. Eppawala Rock Phosphate Fertilizer (ERP) is sold only in the domestic market at present. The tea plantation dominates 55% of the use of ERP whereas the rubber and coconut sectors share 34% of the use. The export cash crops and fruits mainly share the balance. At present we market two types of Phosphates i.e. Eppawala Rock Phosphate (ERP) and High-Grade Eppawala Rock Phosphate (HERP).

The main characteristic feature of HERP is its higher solubility than the Imported Rock Phosphate now being sold in the market.

Despite its higher grade it's available at a very competitive price for you to boost the harvest of tea, rubber, coconut, pineapple, banana, betel, spices and other export cash crops.

Research is being carried to test the suitability of High-Grade Eppawala Rock Phosphate (HERP) for the 50% substitution of Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) for paddy and vegetables. At present we import 50,000 Mt. of Triple Super Phosphate wasting Rs. 600 million every year. We hope to save Rs. 300 million per year by reducing the use of TSP in the country," Jayasekara said.

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