Tea with DA Perera:
Spicing up business
Ramani KANGARAARACHCHI
Taking any business to the fifth generation successfully is not an
easy task. When it comes to a traditional product the importance of
taking it from generation to generation add more value to it.
Spices are traditional products that Sri Lanka boasts of in the
global spice market supplying a wide variety of spices.
It has a long history and in ancient times they were as significant
as medicine , preservatives and perfumes and were placed at a high
value.
The essential oil export business of D.A. Perera is such a precious
industry that has brought fame and foreign currency to the country.
Managing Director of Eoas Organics D.A. Perera is a giant in the food
and flavours industry today and he shared following views with the Daily
news Business.
Q: How did you enter into this business initially?
A: I hail from a traditional family in the South of Sri Lanka
and my ancestors had initiated cinnamon bark oil business way back in
1894.Since then it grew step by step from generation to generation.
I took over from my father who was a member of the forth generation
in the business. After my tertiary level education I became a school
teacher but gave it up later and entered the business. I entered into
spice oleoresin business on my own as EOAS in 1986.
I took a tremendous effort in developing essential oils and oleoresin
business to bring it to the level at which it stands today.
Q: What are the facilities and technology you used bring the
products to the international standards?
A: Talking about the facilities our R and D activities are
totally committed to developing products and state-of-the- art agro
technology to protect the environment and at the same time controlling
yield losses whilst contributing to a consistent crop pattern.
Our basic strength lies in our efforts to preserve nature and to
prevent atmospheric pollution caused through application of hazardous
agro chemicals by carrying out organic farming practices under the
supervision of Control Union of the Netherlands.
We also manage a large out grower network of farmers for different
types of organic spices in spice growing areas and possess a number of
organic spice plantations of its own which helps the company to forge a
long lasting relationship with the growers and to procure raw materials
that ensure total conformity with the specifications of the end
products.
We have CO2 extraction facility as well which is highly a technical
process.
Equipment operating under high pressure transforms carbon dioxide
which is normally a gas at atmospheric pressure into a fluid with
enhanced solvent characteristics.
Q: What do you feel about coming to this field today?
A: I am very proud about it because this is an industry which
has a huge potential in the international market. We have only explored
25 per cent of its potential .
So there is lot of room for us to grow from strength to strength.
More than anything else the country and people will be benefited finally
.
I never export any raw material ,it has always been a value added
product, which gave us the maximum return. Our export value stands at Rs.
500 million today.
Q: What are the barriers that you have come across on this
journey?
A: I started with a small capital but did not have many
barriers. Laws should be flexible if we are to develop the economy of
the country.
High cost of electricity and production are other barriers. We enjoy
BOI facilities for ten years.
Q: What are your plans for 2008?
A: To purchase a high tech processing plant worth of Rs 200
million to Kesbewa this year and to develop the industry by introducing
new products and increase growing the number of plants helping poor
people. I have a 300 acres of spice land but that is not enough. We
support the farmers to grow according to our guidelines and we purchase
their harvest at a higher price. This process will be continued.
I want to make Sri Lanka self sufficient with plants required for the
industry and have plans to grow 125 acres in the eastern province with
450 farmers. I export products to Europe and USA.
|