Hayleys Agro wins honours for agriculture role

The Hayleys Group has been recognised once again at the National Agribusiness Council’s Agri-Business Awards.
Hayleys Agro Products Ltd., (HAPL), the Group’s total solutions provider to the local agri-inputs sector was awarded three Gold awards and a Silver award at the 2007 Ag-Biz awards in the ‘Large’ category for seeds and planting materials, machinery and agricultural equipment, livestock and veterinary supplies and fertiliser and Agrochemicals in an impressive endorsement by peer companies and associations in the sector.

“The commitment of Hayleys to agriculture has been strengthened and a strong common platform is being set up to invest in a new generation of agriculture even as the group builds on its traditional role,” said Rizvi Zaheed, Managing Director of HAPL in a press release. “These awards are greatly encouraging in that context, as they recognise the all-encompassing nature of our involvement.”

HAPL’s products range from crop protection chemicals -- insecticides, fungicides and weedicides to vegetable seeds, seed paddy and seed potatoes, fertilizer, agri equipment including sprayers, tractors, combine harvesters and threshers; micro irrigation systems and animal health products including antibiotics, biologicals, feed additives and veterinary pharmaceuticals. Marketed under a one-stop concept, the company’s products are widely available in over 90 per cent of agricultural outlets in the country.

A major new area of involvement for Hayleys is the use of bio technology for the local production of early generation seed potato, a project which will bring significant savings in foreign exchange and improve yields and quality. “This early generation planting material is expected to provide 10 to 15 per cent higher yields than the traditional late generation seed potato imported mainly from Europe and is less susceptible to pests and diseases,” Upali Gangoda, CEO of HAPL disclosed. Besides the saving on foreign exchange and freight costs, the local production of early generation seed potato is also a potential generator of employment for field multiplication, he pointed out.

Hayleys is also using bio technology to produce high yielding other crops such as banana, pineapple, strawberries and other crops for the domestic market while developing horticultural plantlets for export.