Tropicoir launches factory in the north with tree planting project

Secretary J.A. Ranjith, Group General Manager Leslie De Silva, Project Manager Palai Lalith Pattiwila, Minister Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake, General Manager Factories Mahesh Fernando, and CDA Chairman Udaya M. Rupasinghe 

Minister Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake inaugurating the ‘Anagathaya Wawamu – Kapruka Rekaganimu’ tree planting project

Minister Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake ceremoniously opening the new factory 

• ‘Anagathaya Wawamu Kapruka Rekaganimu’ coconut tree planting project 

Minister Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake, Ministry Secretary J.A. Ranjith, CDA Chairman Udaya Ranasinghe, CRI and CCB Chairmen together with other dignitaries declared open Premier Tech Lanka Ltd. in Palai, 6 km north of Kilinochchi, on 10 August. It is a company under the canopy of Tropicoir Lanka Ltd., providing employment for nearly 300 direct and indirect employees in the area. 

The opening was followed by a coconut tree planting campaign which was felicitated by the Minister. It entails a goal of planting 100,000 coconut plants around Sri Lanka by 2021, of which the company has already completed the planting of over 25,000 plants. They were given to the company’s organising team members, suppliers, schools, two Army camps, one Air Force Base etc. In addition, Tropicoir owns plant nurseries to cater to this requirement, equipped with over 15,000 plants at any given time. 

The long-term aim of the project is ensuring sustainability of the coconut industry, which while helping to clean the air, absorb carbon, create shade and provide food and shelter. That’s just the short list of the many benefit of coconut trees. Tropicoir believes that by increasing the coconut plantation area in the island, it can effectively compensate for the loss of forest cover and help restore ecological balance. 

This project is quite unique. Our team members on the ground are working with local communities to help them move beyond their usual farming, getting the participation of the people living in the area is a major aspect of the project. Overall, this project engages with several different communities. For the most recent planting, a total of seven communities were involved, each comprising of between 100 and 500 families. In some cases, communities who were previously in conflict over political and economic issues are coming together under a common goal – restoring their shared local environment. 

Communities are also receiving tree management training, and many can share their knowledge of the long-term impacts of sustainable agricultural practices with their communities and promote sustainable ways to manage the trees to cultivate both economic and environmental sustainability. 

Tropicoir Lanka Ltd. Managing Director Dinesh Fernando states, “The success of Tropicoir is attributed to our commitment in brand quality and fervent pursuit of quality products for customers. Being a leading coconut-based products manufacturing and exporting company in Sri Lanka catering to the international market, we are also committed to be a responsible corporate to the society by inculcating the value of our inherited thousand years of cultural legacy of Sri Lanka, and to uphold the continuing pursuit of the culture, values and lifestyle of our people.”