To expand with massive investments:

Ceylon Biscuits aims at ‘top slot’ in region and Asia

Shirajiv SIRIMANE

Ceylon Biscuits Ltd will invest over Rs. one billion in the next 18 months for factory expansion and for a food processing plant in Maskeliya. Managing Director, Ceylon biscuits Ltd, Sheamalee Wickramasingha speaking to Daily News Business after winning the converted ‘Most Outstanding Exporter Gold Award’ presented by the National Chamber of Exporters last Friday. She said that they had already invested over Rs. 1.3 billion for a new factory in the Seethawaka Export Processing Zone.

“This factory was built to manufacture products for our export market. However, despite the staff working for three shifts per day, the supply was inadequate to meet the global demand,” she said. She said, currently they were exporting to over 45 countries and new markets too have emerged. “Due to this we will be reinvesting a further Rs. 520 million for the Seethawaka factory expansion and also for new machinery,” she said.

She also disclosed plans to build three factories in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan to stamp their foot prints in the region. “In addition to increasing demand from Australia and North American countries, there is also scope for expansion in the SAARC region and beyond. Our ultimate aim was to be the number one consumer brand for the region and Asia,” she said.

Sheamalee said they already had a large farmer contingent in Maskeliya and the company was looking at setting up a food procession plant. “This would be mainly to process Soya and other raw material for our production.”

“The out grower concept in the area is very strong and in a few months time these farmers will help to stop imports of peanuts saving almost a US $ two million export bill to the country. “These farmers also grow speciality rice needed providing them additional revenue.” Commenting on some of their new products she said that biscuits manufactured with rice flour would be introduced in large volumes for both the local and export markets.

Commenting on the local market, she claimed that they were the market leader in every segment, commanding over 55 % in the biscuit segment, 5 % in the chocolate segment and over 50 % in other brands.

She said that they were happy to receive the ‘Exporter of the Year Award,’ since biscuits were produced throughout the world and it was tough to compete in the global arena being a developing country.

“We knew that we were getting some thing ‘big’ at the awards ceremony and this award was definitely a ‘bonus’ for hard work of our dedicated staff of the Munchee team,” she said.