Era of “Golden Crop” rice from CIC

CIC Agri Businesses, the trend setter in Sri Lankan agriculture, this week launched a premium quality rice “Golden Crop” in the market.

The high quality rice grown at CIC‘s own farms in Hingurakgoda, Pelwehera and Talawa is also processed and milled in the company’s new state-of-the-art-rice mill that has just commenced trial operations.

Currently Sri Lanka imports around 200.000 metric tons of high quality premium rice. Although there is a demand for high quality premium rice in Sri Lanka the country is not in a position to produce such rice due to the poor quality of the rice mills. Sri Lankan millers have realized that with the current equipment and machinery they have, it is not possible to produce high quality rice in order to substitute imports. Accordingly they have started upgrading their mills by adding new machinery on an ad-hoc basis, CIC Agri said.

These measures have so far failed to produce required high quality."It is to this niche that CIC Agri Businesses have now entered with an investment of over Rs. 110 million and the installation of an innovative rice processing facility at Maho following a tie up with Satake of Japan who are rated as the world’s leading producer of rice milling equipment," the company said.

Apart from being a foreign exchange saver, Golden Crop rice will also help to ensure that the country’s paddy prices will not decline as currently Sri Lanka is near to self-sufficiency. With the opening of the Eastern Province for agricultural production, a surplus of paddy is inevitable. Although this is good from a food security point it can bring down the prices of paddy which will result in a loss of revenue to the farmer. Hence there is an urgent need to avoid such a situation.

CIC Agri said following comprehensive research and a varietal development programme carried out in its farm, the company has developed over 10 rice types. Many traditional varieties such as Kalu Heenati, Elvee and Suwadel with attributed medicinal values have been identified and developed with improved productivity and international markets in mind. All these rice types are now marketed under the “Golden Crop” brand.

In addition to growing in its three farms the company has acquired the services of over 3,000 farmers in the Mahaweli System B, C & H and have entrusted them with the task of multiplying the rice varieties identified and developed by the company. Farmers will supply the required raw material for processing on a buy-back agreement at a premium price which will ensure a better income for themselves.