Renuka Holdings in forefront for PPP of state plantations
View(s):The Plantations Committee under the Public Enterprise Development Ministry is to submit a proposal by Renuka Foods PLC on a Public Private Partnership project to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management next week, officials said.
This is for the setting up of a diversified organic farming project for exports and also a dairy project, an official told the Business Times, adding that these will be at three properties of state-owned Elkaduwa Plantations.
So far the Ministry has received some 90 unsolicited projects proposals and an official said that out of these there are 12 projects that can be started immediately. Amongst these 12, Damro has submitted a proposal for furniture. A coconut husk project and a water bottling plant project are among the proposals.
There are five plantation companies – Elkaduwa, Janatha Estate Development Board, Sri Lanka Estate Plantations Corporation, Chilaw Plantations Ltd and Kurunegala Plantations Ltd under the ministry. Out of which Elkaduwa, JEDB and SLSPC are tea based and the other two are coconut based.
Officials added that apart from the 20,000 hectares (ha) of productive agricultural lands under these plantations, there’re 38,000 ha of land out of which 15,000 ha are non productive and which can be allocated for tourism, or renewable energy projects.
Ancillary businesses such as hydro power, tourism are encouraged. “We want to expedite such projects when we issue the Expressions of Interests (EOI) after which we can call for suitable proposals,” the official told the Business Times. -(DE)