Lanka to make super phosphate in Rs. 800 m project

Anjana SAMARASINGHE

FERTILISER: The Government has decided to continue manufacturing Single Super Phosphate (SSP) in Sri Lanka without foreign collaboration.

Chairman of the Lanka Phosphate Limited (LPL) Dr. C.P. Udawatta said they have had negotiations with foreign companies but their demands were high and the Government has decided to carry on the project without foreign collaboration.

The LPL is now in the process of carrying out a financial study and an environmental impact study for the project. The total investment for the project estimated at Rs. 800 million and the company expects to negotiate with banks and financial institutes for funding.

SSP for short-term crops will be a boon to local agriculture and will save a large amount of foreign exchange on importation of Triple Super Phosphate.

In September 2004 action was taken for manufacture of SSP with the advice and collaborative research carried out with main rice research centres in Bathalagoda and Bombuwala to use SSP based basal mixture for paddy.

At present LPL is manufacturing Eppawala Rock Phosphate (ERP) and high-grade Eppawala Rock Phosphate (HERP), the two types of phosphate fertilisers. Last year, the company was able to manufacture 45,000 metric tonnes of both types of phosphate fertiliser.

The company recorded a Rs. 2,003 million turnover last year.

This year LPL targets Rs 2,020 million and expects to manufacture nearly 50,000 metric tonnes of both types of fertilisers this year, Udawatta said.