Agro nutrition invests Rs. 150m to produce vet. items

Hiran H. Senewiratne

Agro Nutrition (Pvt) Limited is planning to set up an animal health and functional food industry factory at Wadduwa with an investment of Rs. 150 million shortly.

The company will mainly use local materials for exporting and for local consumption, its Chairman/Managing Director, Prabath Fonseka said.

Prabath Fonseka receiving the award from the Director Finance - The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited, Shan Shunmuganathan at the NCE awards ceremony recently.

Fonseka won the Silver medal for the medium size business category at the recently held NCE awards ceremony.

Currently, manufactures various products including antibiotics, dewormers, and vitamin supplements, oral liquids for poultry and cattle industry for the export market.

At present the company exports its products to several countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, India and also to the local poultry players at a competitive price, he said.

Other than the veterinary products, they manufacture aquaculture feeds and imports raw materials to use for the local feed industry. With these business operations, the company has an annual turnover of Rs one million, he said.

He said that before entering into the export business, the company was importing veterinary medicines and vitamin supplements to the poultry and livestock industry in Sri Lanka.

According to Fonseka the business was gradually improved. In the year 2000 they set up a veterinary drug manufacturing factory at Wadduwa licensed by the Department of Animal Production and Health. The company commenced exporting nutrition and veterinary medicinal products to Bangladesh in 2002 being the first Sri Lankan exporter of such products.

He said that most of veterinary products are imported form other countries although Sri Lanka has the capability of manufacturing them. Therefore he uses his knowledge gained overseas to manufacture, veterinary and other health and functional products in Sri Lanka.

Agro Nutrition (Pvt) Limited was established in 1988 by Fonseka is now one of the few veterinary manufacturers in the country. Fonseka is a product of Thurstan College Colombo.