By Hiran H. Senewiratne
Richard Pieris and Company Limited (RPC) is looking for a value addition in tea export with the development of their new brand named St Clair, its Director/Chief Operating Officer Pravir D. Samarasinghe said.
He said the company entered the tea plantation business in 2004 acquiring a controlling interest of Maskeliya Plantation and also buying Namunukula Plantation, which manufactured more than eight per cent of the total output in the country. The St. Clair brand will be used for their up country tea to low and mid country tea.
“The Kenyan crisis will have good opportunities for the Sri Lankan market in the first six months of the year. Therefore it would boost the entire tea market,” he said.
Samarasinghe said the company will invest Rs 70 to 100 million on re-planting of lands, which are under the company.
With these developments the company was able to increase exports remarkably with the development of the St. Clair brand.
During last year and year before two main crops especially tea and coconut have contributed significantly to improve the profitability of the company.
Therefore following a well-planned series of investments the company’s four tea estates in the Uva-Udapussellawa region produced a much improved performance this year and have now turned around and are contributing to profitability, he said.
RPC Management Services, the plantation arm of the group is the largest plantation sector operator in Sri Lanka.
