Lanka Phosphate commissions new mill complex
Vishmi Wijeratne
Lanka Phosphate Ltd (LP), plans on commissioning the new mill complex
in Eppawala on November 20, Chairman Admiral Daya Sandagiri said that
the mill was established to improve production. “Last year though we
managed to meet the demand, it was a difficult task we had to work 22
hours a day on all three mills to meet the demand of 56,000 metric
tons,” he said.
New mill complex in Eppawala. top left officials at the
complex |
Sandagiri said that the demands are raising sky high with rain
benefiting crops, though LP had managed to meet the demand, the company
is aware that only coconut plantations are reaping the benefits of the
fertilizer. “Our fertilizer can be used for almost any crop and tea,
rubber and coconut being the main economic crops we focus on them more.
However, the tea and rubber crops have not received our proper attention
and if we calculate the total demand for all three crops, it would reach
100,000 yearly metric tons, thus the new mill is timely,”he said.
Commenting on the profit made, LP has surpassed the Rs 100 million
profit reaching Rs 200 million last year. We are optimistic that the new
mill will profit us more. “We even managed for the first time to give
the Treasury Rs 40 million of the dividends” he said. The investment for
the new mill was born in collaboration with the government and LP, thus
amounting to Rs 54 million. “The construction and design was done by the
Colombo Machinery Equipment Ltd on an open tender agreement. The new
mill will be able to produce 10 metric tons per hour and thus we will be
able to reach our target in producing 100,000 metric tons yearly,” he
said.
LP’s roots goes back to 1971 where fertilizer was produced in small
scale, but LP was established by the parliament on July 10, 1992 with
three mills. “We have three mills that are very old and produces less
than what the new mill produces per hour.Two of the mills produce five
tons per hour while the other produces just one ton per hour,” he said.
LP currently has a total of 300 employees in Eppawala and the head
office in Colombo.
New recruitment will be done for the new mill, Sandagiri said that
they hope to recruit 10 – 25 new employees. |