Malwatte Valley Plantations is modernising its plantations, the company said this week.
It is doing away with traditional systems, and in association with Avery Industrial Automation is gearing its plantations with high tech user-friendly devices comprising customized programmes.

This will help the management access information directly from its plantations via web based graphic user interface (GUI). The company could also now view live images of its factory process around the clock via Digital Video Recording (DVR) whilst at the same time being able to analyze its daily production data., according to a company statement.

At the company’s recent awards night in Colombo, the chief electronics engineer of the project confirmed the success of the modernisation process. At this event, two workers of Aislaby Estate also addressed the gathering and confirmed that malpractices of the previous system had stopped with the introduction of new technology and they as workers stood to benefit from the system.

Malwatte increased its turnover in 2007 to Rs 2.26 billion, up 29% from the previous year. The company has embarked on a Factory Modernization Programme this year and expects to complete eight of its factories by the end of the year at a cost of approximately Rs 65 million. Two completed factories have already obtained ISO 22000 certification and three more are expected to be certified within the next three months, the statement added.