NWPEA reaffirms Jiffy Products Kobeigane factory operating according to stringent standards

State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe, Ambassador of Norway Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther, Jiffy International AS President and CEO Dagfinn Andersen and Jiffy Products Sri Lanka Managing Director Sandeeptha Gamalath

Chief Minister of the North Western Province Dharmasiri Dasanayake, NWP Chief Secretary Jayantha Wijerathna, State Minister of International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe and Jiffy Products Sri Lanka Managing Director Sandeeptha Gamalath

Officials from the North Western Provincial Environmental Authority (NWPEA) recently inspected the Jiffy Products facility in Kobeigane and concluded that all operations conform to environmental and industry guidelines set by the NWPEA. Jiffy Products Sri Lanka is a subsidiary of the international plant propagation and horticulture company Jiffy International AS, and is currently the fastest growing entity in the global group.  

The factory visit was attended by dignitaries Dharmasiri Dasanayake – the Chief Minister of the North Western Province (NWP), Sujeewa Senasinghe – State Minister of International Trade, Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther, the Ambassador of Norway, and officials Jayantha Wijerathna, Chief Secretary – NWP, Dr. Saman Senanayake – Director, NWPEA and M.A. Jayasundara, Director – North Western Regional Office of the Board of Investments Sri Lanka. Also present were senior officials from Jiffy including Dagfinn Andersen – President and CEO Jiffy International AS and Sandeeptha Gamalath – Managing Director, Jiffy Products Sri Lanka. 

Jiffy Products Sri Lanka specialises in the manufacturing and distribution of plant propagation substrate, substrate systems and related horticultural products. Currently Jiffy employs approximately 1,100 people in four factories across the country, and the company’s total investment in Sri Lanka stands at approximately Rs. 1.6 billion. The Kobeigane factory is one of Jiffy’s main facilities in Sri Lanka and manufactures a range of high quality plant propagation solutions. 

Commenting on the factory’s operations, Dr. Saman Senanayake – Director, NWPEA stated: “The Jiffy factory in Kobeigane was carefully tested and all operations were evaluated and verified to ensure that the factory is operating according to the environmental standards stipulated by NWPEA. We were pleased to find that all the processes in place are in alignment with industry best practices, and the factory conforms to all requirements and regulations that have been set by the NWPEA.” 

The Jiffy facility has played a crucial role in providing employment and uplifting the local community in Kobeigane. By providing jobs to over 600 people at the factory alone, Jiffy Products Sri Lanka has been able to support and ensure the well-being of the local community. The company has also assisted local schools in the area by providing them with computer labs, resources and libraries. The company also invested in constructing a road in the area, to enable local community members to travel on a day-to-day basis in safety and with greater ease. 

Jiffy Products Sri Lanka (JPSL) was incorporated in 2003 as a BOI venture. The motivation behind the Jiffy Group venturing into Sri Lanka was the availability of coir fibre pith, which was gaining popularity all over the world as a versatile plant propagation and growing media. Due to Sri Lanka’s strategic geographical location, the local Jiffy operation currently reaches markets in Europe and North America and is well-poised to tap into and supply plant propagation solutions to fast growing economies across the southern hemisphere.