By Pabodha Hettige
The Ministry of State Resources and Enterprise Development says that steps will be taken to double the production at the fertilizer plant in Eppawala to save a large amount of money spent to import fertilizer for agricultural purposes.
Currently, about Rs. 20 billion per year is spent to purchase adequate fertilizer for the farmers.
"Plans are underway to start producing Triple Super Phosphate fertilizer instead of the currently produced Single Super Phosphate, for which the demand is gradually reducing," the ministry spokesman said. Cabinet approval had also been granted in this regard.
To develop the plant the ministry had allocated Rs. 40 million to install new machinery and 29 casual workers would be made permanent, he said.
The spokesman also said that the profits of the Mineral Sands Company Limited in Pulmudai had increased to Rs. 7 billion this year compared to the 2009 profit of Rs. 239 million.
Sri Lanka’s biggest buyers of mineral sands are China, Japan and India. "Compared to 2010 the prices offered for Limonite had increased by 270 per cent, Rutile by 156 per cent while Zercon had an increase of 90 per cent in 2011, he said.
He also said that depending on the high demand the ministry had taken steps to establish a new trade zone in Pulmudai to increase production of mineral sand related products.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=41349
No comments:
Post a Comment