The Palmyrah Development Board (PDB) is seeking financial injection from the next budget to revive the defunct Thickkam Distilleries Minister of Small and Medium Business and Enterprise Development and Minister of Industries and Supply Chain Management Wimal Weerawansa said.
He was speaking at the launch of Palmyrah Ice Cream, a first for Sri Lanka with Sri Lanka’s oldest ice cream manufacturer, Alerics yesterday.
The distillery was established in 1984 to ensure that the excess toddy is converted into vinegar, surgical spirit, arrack, wine and ethanol and other money spinning activities which has high market demand both locally and internationally. The Minister said that opening the distillery will give better retunes for Northern province toddy producers and said that they hope manufacture several new products for both local and export market. “We have already established office and are looking for funds from the next budget to install new machinery.”
Weerawansa said Sri Lankan companies invests around Rs. 4.3 million to import fiber monthly and we have offered them locally made Palmyrah fiber which is successful. “As an initial step a Palmyrah Fiber Processing Centre was set up in Manner last month and we will open three more in North East is four months and by end of 2020 August we will be able to meet this fiber demand locally thus saving huge Forex. We are now working with Sri Jayewardenepura University to introduce several new products from Jak to the local market.”
Minister also said that in a bid to offer a new market for Palmyrah products, the CWE has been instructed to purchase them and market them through their 300 plus outlets.
The PDB, Chairman Krishantha Pathiraja said that the total R&D for Palmyrah Ice Cream with Alerics was done at the Palmyrah Development Board. Managing Director,CEO, Alerics, Dhanuka Liyanagamage said that this is the first time that a government institution contacted them and encourage and assisted them to manufacture Palmyrah Ice Cream and they already have many inquiries for it. The products would be available from next week.
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