Providing fertiliser at a low cost:

Jivro nourishes local produce

Ruwanthi Abeyakoon

CEO - Sujeewa de Silva	MD - Ajith Jayasundera

Director-CEO, Sabaragamuwa Fertilizers, Sujeewa de Silva and Managing Director, Ajith Jayasundera have come along way following their vision; dedication to create superior customer value and satisfaction.

Their products reach the market under the brand name Jivro, which means life of the sun.

“Fertiliser gives life to a plant. It is essential for growth. Our logo portrays the precise blending of the fertiliser. In 1991 we started the Fertiliser Company. In 2003 we opened the Agro Chemical Division. The factory is in Kuruvita, Ratnapura,” de Silva explained.

“The Sri Lankan fertiliser market is 500,000 metric tonnes per year. We produce 2.5 per cent of that. We mainly buy raw material from China, Dubai and Malaysia. We supply fertiliser to the Rubber Department, Coconut Research Institute, Coconut Cultivation Board, Tea Research Institute and Agriculture Department,” he said.

Providing fertiliser at a low cost, Jivro has now captured the market.

At the factory in Kuruvita.

“We import raw material and mix them. The Government has given a ratio and we mix according to it. Our prices are low. Because the profit margin and overheads are minimised, we can give at a low price. We had repurchases since we commenced production in 2000,” Jayasundera said.

“Our product is 100 per cent Sri Lankan. At the beginning we had to face a lot of problems. It was difficult to obtain bank loans. We used to work 24 hours to develop the factory. Honesty and dedication has brought us success,” he said.

Jayasundera said they have minimised the toxity of the production.

“We have 200 trees around the factory. It shows that our products are eco-friendly. We are concerned about the environment. The waste is purified and the waste is sent through a fish tank to show that it won’t affect the environment around.

We carry out individual research. We have banana, flowers, tea and rubber cultivation. We use the fertiliser on the cultivation before marketing. We also discuss with the Government to expand our products,” he said.

Jivro has received ISO certifications for the products. “We have won five awards.

“We have 40 permanent workers. There are about 20 casual workers, all from Ratnapura. Our aim is to provide employment to many as possible. They are trained and paid well for their service,” de Silva added.

“We also do a lot of charity. We give clothes and shoes to schools in Ratnapura and Galle Districts. We built around 200 temporary houses in the Galle District,” he said.

He also pointed out that their main target is the local market.

“There will be several diversifications in the future. Pan Asia Bank assisted us to start the business. We also receive assistance from the Commercial Bank. Ratnapura Chamber of Commerce is like the shadow behind us. The Chamber has been there right throughout.

We are also closely liaising with Government Offices. Through Business for Peace Alliance the regional chambers were linked and we were able to develop the business. Our families assist us to do our business,” de Silva said.

“We distribute our products islandwide. There are dealers and we send our products to Dambulla, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Norochcholai, Kalpitiya, Nuwara Eliya and Moneragala. We have obtained the license to import and blend fertiliser from the National Fertiliser Secretariat.

“We hope to expand our business in the future and contribute to the development of the Sri Lankan economy,” he added.