News
From Nuwara Eliya to Dubai: Isha Holdings markets Agri products abroad
In a bid to bring foreign exchange to up country and strengthen the local economy, a diversified young entrepreneur from Nuwara Eliya, R. Thilagan, has opened his first international branch office in Dubai to market Sri Lankan coir and vegetable products.
In addition, he plans to export Sri Lankan gems and value-added diamonds to the Dubai market through this regional office.
Thilagan, Founder and Chairman of Isha Holdings International, said his family has been involved in the vegetable business, furniture and trading in Nuwara Eliya for decades.
“In a bid to bring FOREX to our company and the Nuwara Eliya region, while also providing better income for local farmers, I started a new agri initiative to value-add vegetables such as capsicum, carrot, leeks, beans, brinjals, broccoli, potatoes and onions. These are cleaned, processed, and packaged in ready-to-cook form for leading catering houses and food supply companies in Colombo. The products are processed at my Good Food Products factory in Labukele, Nuwara Eliya,” he said.
Following positive customer feedback, Thilagan expanded the operation under his new company brand, Good Food Products, to Dubai by opening the first regional office and commencing exports. “We have tied up with leading distributors in Dubai, and our products are now much sought after in supermarket chains,” he added.
In addition to vegetables, Thilagan has invested in local coir manufacturers and set up joint ventures to export coir-based products to Dubai. The Dubai office has also partnered with UAE horticulture supply companies to distribute coir products to hotels, businesses and homes.
“Thanks to the quality of locally value-added vegetables and coir products, both verticals have been very successful, and demand is growing. We hope to expand to other countries,” he said, noting that further expansion plans are temporarily on hold due to the ongoing war situation.
Thilagan also shared that the company has obtained a gem license to export Sri Lankan gems and jewellery to Dubai and entered joint ventures with two gem marketing companies in Kandy. Plans are underway for another joint venture to value and export diamonds to Dubai, with contacts established at the Dubai Gem and Diamond Exchange.
Beyond agriculture and gems, Thilagan, a founding director of Greentel Mobile Phones, said the company will now aggressively expand its mobile portfolio. “We have already imported Greentel Tabs and will soon bring other accessories to Sri Lanka,” he noted, as the brand gains recognition and growing demand.
By Hiran H. Senevirathne
News
Sun directly overhead Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon today (07)
The sun is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 28th of August to 07th of September due to its apparent southward relative motion.
The nearest places of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (07) are Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon.
By Norman Palihawadane
The CID recently found that former SLPP Deputy Minister Premalal Jayasekara, better known as ‘Choka Malli’, had left for Thailand when the Supreme Court imposed an overseas travel ban on him last Friday.
The CID discovered that Jayasekara had left Sri Lanka on August 31, while authorities were taking steps to enforce the travel restriction imposed by the Supreme Court. The Department has subsequently informed the Attorney General’s Department of the development.
The Supreme Court last Friday ordered Jayasekara, and two other men, to appear before court on October 21, and imposed a ban on their overseas travel.
The orders were made as the Supreme Court considered an appeal challenging the acquittal of the three men in connection with the 2015 murder of Shantha Dodangoda, also known as D.G. Sunil Perera.
The appeal was filed by Dodangoda’s wife against a decision of the Court of Appeal to acquit and release Jayasekara and the two other accused, who had previously been convicted and sentenced to death by the Ratnapura High Court.
Dodangoda was killed in a shooting in Kahawatta town, in the early hours of January 5, 2015, while a group of people were putting up decorations for an election rally in support of then common Opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena.
Two others, Karunadasa Weerasinghe and Mohamed Ilfan, were seriously injured in the shooting.
Following the incident, the Ratnapura High Court convicted Jayasekara, former Chairman of the Kahawatta Pradeshiya Sabha Wajira Darshana de Silva, and former Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council member Nilanta Jayakody, sentencing all three to death.
The Court of Appeal subsequently acquitted the three men and ordered their release.
The victim’s wife later challenged the acquittal before the Supreme Court.
The appeal was taken up before a Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justices Achala Wengappuli and Gihan Kulatunga.
During the proceedings, Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara requested that the court impose overseas travel restrictions on Jayasekara and the other respondents.
The Supreme Court subsequently ordered all three to appear before the court on October 21 and imposed travel bans on them.
President’s Counsel Nalin Ladduwahetty, President’s Counsel U.R. de Silva and President’s Counsel Anuja Premaratne appeared for the respondents. President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris represented the aggrieved party.
Police sources said that the discovery that Jayasekara had already left for Thailand, on August 31, has raised concerns over the timing and enforcement of the travel ban.
Sources said that the CID had notified the Attorney General’s Department and was taking further action in relation to the development.
By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon
The number of deaths from dengue fever in Sri Lanka has risen to 73 this year, with 96,228 cases reported across the country so far, according to the Dengue Control Unit.
The latest figures indicate that dengue continues to pose a significant public health concern, with 737 new cases recorded during the first four days of September alone.
Dengue infections peaked in July, when 29,964 cases were reported, according to the latest data. June recorded the second-highest monthly total, with 21,533 cases, while 10,155 cases were reported in August.
Earlier in the year, 8,590 cases were recorded in May and 7,866 cases in January.The Western Province remains the worst-affected area, accounting for more than half of all dengue cases reported nationwide. A total of 50,851 cases have been recorded in the province, representing 52.84% of the country’s total.
The Southern Province has recorded 13,950 cases, followed by the Central Province with 8,818 cases and Sabaragamuwa Province with 7,925 cases.
Sun directly overhead Galle, Angulugaha, Imaduwa, Telijjawila, Yatiyana and Tangalle about 12.08 noon today (07)
Showers above 50 mm are likely at some places in the Uva and Eastern provinces.
Harshitha’s composed knock seals Sri Lanka’s semi-final berth
‘Choka Malli’ slips out of country before travel ban
Dengue death toll rises to 73
Ranil accuses govt. of undermining democracy
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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