Get back to your prestigious position’, plantations urged

September 17, 2014, 12:00 pm


By Steve A. Morrell

At the head table, Secretary Ministry Plantation Industries Dr. Ms. Damith De Zoysa, Secretary General PA Malin Goonetileke, Dr P.B. Jayasundera, Deputy chairman PA Sunil Poholiyadda. -

Pic by. Ranjith.

‘The plantations of Sri Lanka should get back to their prestigious position when their contribution to the economy was 90 % of the country’s exports. Currently their performance was less than 5 % GDP, Secretary, Minstry of Finance and Planning and Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera said. He was addressing the 160th annual general meeting of the Planters’ Association of Sri Lanka as chief guest at the Galadari recently.

‘There are other plantation crops that have emerged. Papaya, pineapple, mangoe, dragon fruit, strawberry were all export oriented products which cater to foreign markets.

Similarly, tea as a prime export product should regain its prime position and it was time the tea industry emerged to its pristine position.

‘your tea should be selling at $ 50 per kilo and not $5. Tea no longer enjoys its economic prestige as it did in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Jayasundera said.

‘How did your industry lose out?’He said there has to be a complete break from the past. ‘At the time you refer to, your prime markets were some European Countries; but now markets have shifted; take China, India, they are the economic leaders you should look to. Each of those countries have populations in excess of one billion people.

Continuing, Dr Jayasundera said there were other industries, ahead of the plantations, which contributed substantially to the economy. He made pointed reference to the garments industry and the prestigious brand and legend ‘Made in Sri Lanka’. Garment exports, including Intimates, have now reached substantive reputation for high standards and compete with acknowledged leaders. The ‘Made in Sri Lanka’ legend is strong internationally for garments exports.

IT, too, had gained export recognition. Their target for 2020 was a growth level of about 750 million dollars.

‘The plantations should have a clear vision of focus and inevitable challenges that loom ahead could be overcome.

‘Economic vision for Sri Lanka was $ . 7000 per capita income by 2020. But that was only a "transit step" for further economic progress. Ultimate aim was $ 40,000 per capita by 2040. Singapore was currently at $ 50,000 per capita, Jayasundera said.

‘There must be a complete break from the past. Move up in the value chain and achieve your goals.’ Jayasundera, urged.

‘Before estates were re-privatized in 1992, the Treasury had to bridge plantation losses incurred at that time of about Rs. 400 million each month. ‘Had the state continued to run the plantation sector concurrent losses would have now amassed to a staggering loss of about Rs. 100 billion, said Chairman, Planters’ Association of Sri Lanka Roshan Rajadurai in his address.

Rajadurai traced the history of the plantations and the PA, and reverted to the glory days of the industry and its contribution to the economy at around 37 % GDP in the 1950s.

‘The estate sector was in debt under state management and had to depend on the Treasury for its existence. Four hundred and forty nine estates were handed over to 23 Regional Plantation Companies.

Rajadurai said that Until then the government incurred an operational loss of about 1.5 billion rupees each year, maintaining the plantation sector.

He also referred to improved quality of life currently enjoyed by workers in the plantations. That too after 22 years of private management.

‘There are estates currently managed by the Janatha Estates Development Board, and The State Plantations Corporation, ( state agencies), who do not have funds to pay workers’ statutory dues. In effect, they work contrary to existing labour laws, Rajadurai added.

‘The Plantation sector provides direct livelihoods to about 1.1 million people; all of them resident on these plantations.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=110439

SHARK wrote:
September 17, 2014, 12:00 pm


By Steve A. Morrell

At the head table, Secretary Ministry Plantation Industries Dr. Ms. Damith De Zoysa, Secretary General PA Malin Goonetileke, Dr P.B. Jayasundera, Deputy chairman PA Sunil Poholiyadda. -

Pic by. Ranjith.

‘The plantations of Sri Lanka should get back to their prestigious position when their contribution to the economy was 90 % of the country’s exports. Currently their performance was less than 5 % GDP, Secretary, Minstry of Finance and Planning and Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera said. He was addressing the 160th annual general meeting of the Planters’ Association of Sri Lanka as chief guest at the Galadari recently.

‘There are other plantation crops that have emerged. Papaya, pineapple, mangoe, dragon fruit, strawberry were all export oriented products which cater to foreign markets.

Similarly, tea as a prime export product should regain its prime position and it was time the tea industry emerged to its pristine position.

‘your tea should be selling at $ 50 per kilo and not $5. Tea no longer enjoys its economic prestige as it did in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Jayasundera said.

‘How did your industry lose out?’He said there has to be a complete break from the past. ‘At the time you refer to, your prime markets were some European Countries; but now markets have shifted; take China, India, they are the economic leaders you should look to. Each of those countries have populations in excess of one billion people.

Continuing, Dr Jayasundera said there were other industries, ahead of the plantations, which contributed substantially to the economy. He made pointed reference to the garments industry and the prestigious brand and legend ‘Made in Sri Lanka’. Garment exports, including Intimates, have now reached substantive reputation for high standards and compete with acknowledged leaders. The ‘Made in Sri Lanka’ legend is strong internationally for garments exports.

IT, too, had gained export recognition. Their target for 2020 was a growth level of about 750 million dollars.

‘The plantations should have a clear vision of focus and inevitable challenges that loom ahead could be overcome.

‘Economic vision for Sri Lanka was $ . 7000 per capita income by 2020. But that was only a "transit step" for further economic progress. Ultimate aim was $ 40,000 per capita by 2040. Singapore was currently at $ 50,000 per capita, Jayasundera said.

‘There must be a complete break from the past. Move up in the value chain and achieve your goals.’ Jayasundera, urged.

‘Before estates were re-privatized in 1992, the Treasury had to bridge plantation losses incurred at that time of about Rs. 400 million each month. ‘Had the state continued to run the plantation sector concurrent losses would have now amassed to a staggering loss of about Rs. 100 billion, said Chairman, Planters’ Association of Sri Lanka Roshan Rajadurai in his address.

Rajadurai traced the history of the plantations and the PA, and reverted to the glory days of the industry and its contribution to the economy at around 37 % GDP in the 1950s.

‘The estate sector was in debt under state management and had to depend on the Treasury for its existence. Four hundred and forty nine estates were handed over to 23 Regional Plantation Companies.

Rajadurai said that Until then the government incurred an operational loss of about 1.5 billion rupees each year, maintaining the plantation sector.

He also referred to improved quality of life currently enjoyed by workers in the plantations. That too after 22 years of private management.

‘There are estates currently managed by the Janatha Estates Development Board, and The State Plantations Corporation, ( state agencies), who do not have funds to pay workers’ statutory dues. In effect, they work contrary to existing labour laws, Rajadurai added.

‘The Plantation sector provides direct livelihoods to about 1.1 million people; all of them resident on these plantations.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=110439

Good Morning shark. which plantation company would u recommend to invest in ?

KGAL NAMU
KOTA - Has not paid dividends lately, but a good one technically..it has a HPP in progress

SHARK wrote:KGAL NAMU
KOTA - Has not paid dividends lately, but a good one technically..it has a HPP  in progress

@OzTRADER wrote:

SHARK wrote:KGAL NAMU
KOTA - Has not paid dividends lately, but a good one technically..it has a HPP  in progress

Shark Aiye, KOTA gaththoth kota uda thamai harida. Onna kiuwa.
Rubber mkt is gone to asia/Africa.
not enough rain for us
world rubber prices down
local estate problems
try some diversified plantation with palm/tea/rubber

This could be bottom then know Octo for Kota

SHARK wrote:This could be bottom then know Octo for Kota

yes. this is the bottom. its been there for long time now.
if you can stuck your money without knowing how long.... this is a good share.

KOTA has got only rubber. so you have to wait till rubber to pick up.
if you buy plantation with rubber/ tea/ palm, it could go up sooner than KOTA.

When things start to pick up, then buy..... then sell
dont stuck your money for dead ones.

mama oya tharan nam dan naa honde...!
meka mage awanka adahasa.

Thank you for the link.

Actually intermediate trend is up for plantation sector as well. Some stocks are at the beginning of their intermediate uptrend. It is better to buy stock when they are cheap in a major uptrend. Once stocked started to rally strongly we cannot buy stocks cheaply. Why didn’t players buy WATA, PMB, MBSL, PLC when they were cheap trading around Rs.12 and ECL at Rs.23, SAMP at 190/ COMB at Rs.110 ? ? Any stock can become very bullish in this market. It is better to identify personality of the stocks before buying them. I believe some of the great returns can come from stocks such as MASK, MADU, BOPL and MPRH in the plantation sector. That doesn’t means TPL and UDPL won’t reach Rs.50/. In a major uptrend TPL, HAPU and UDPL can pass Rs.50/ easily. I consider both HAPU and UDPL as hidden gems in the plantation sector. As KAHA is trading around Rs.41/- how much worth other plantations stocks? Please do some home work.  There are market discrepancies. We have to identify them to pick winning stocks. Because of major uptrend stocks are going form one level to next level gradually. KOTA, KGAL and NAMU also will go up in a major uptrend.  What we are going to see is great bull market not sluggish market like in 2012/2013. Almost all plantations stocks will go up in this bull market.Good luck

@VALUEPICK wrote:Thank you for the link.

Actually intermediate trend is up for plantation sector as well. Some stocks are at the beginning of their intermediate uptrend. It is better to buy stock when they are cheap in a major uptrend. Once stocked started to rally strongly we cannot buy stocks cheaply. Why didn’t players buy WATA, PMB, MBSL, PLC when there were cheap trading around Rs.12 and ECL at Rs.23, SAMP at 190/ COMB at Rs.110 ? ? Any stock can become very bullish in this market. It is better to identify personality of the stocks before buying them. I believe some of the great returns can come from stocks such as MASK, MADU, BOPL and MPRH in the plantation sector. That doesn’t means TPL and UDPL won’t reach Rs.50/. In a major uptrend TPL, HAPU and UDPL can pass Rs.50/ easily. I consider both HAPU and UDPL as hidden gems in the plantation sector. As KAHA is trading around Rs.41/- how much worth other plantations stocks? Please do some home work.  There are market discrepancies. We have to identify them to pick winning stocks. Because of major uptrend stocks are going form one level to next level gradually. KOTA, KGAL and NAMU also will go up in a major uptrend.  What we are going to see is great bull market not sluggish market like in 2012/2013. Almost all plantations stocks will go up in this bull market.Good luck

u are bohoma hari VP
but I am a trader, so buy and wait for uptrend forever is not my strategy.
when there is a uptrend buy and then sell with profits is my strategy.
so for the time I will add your plantations to my watch list.

jaya wewa

Octopus

I have made a mistake above. It should be ESL at Rs.23 not ECL at Rs.23. Some times we will miss the train for stocks because of small price difference. In some situation we should ready to pay premium for stocks in a major uptrend. For example when TPL was trading around Rs.24 I put buy order around Rs.23. I didn’t get it and it is trading around Rs.34 now. It is not too high to buy stocks and it is not too low to sell stocks depend on the situation and strategy that we apply. Good luck for your trading! Trend is our friend! Thanks.

@VALUEPICK wrote:Octopus

I have made a mistake above. It should be ESL at Rs.23 not ECL at Rs.23. Some times we will miss the train for stocks because of small price difference. In some situation we should ready to pay premium for stocks in a major uptrend. For example when TPL was trading around Rs.24 I put buy order around Rs.23. I didn’t get it and it is trading around Rs.34 now. It is not too high to buy stocks and it is not too low to sell stocks depend on the situation and strategy that we apply. Good luck for your trading! Trend is our friend! Thanks.

Thanks VP
each one of us have different strategies. For me, I don't like to put millions and wait for profit.
so I trade, get the profit go home and have a good sleep. I don't trust trust stock mkt. anything could happen over night.
9/11, Tsunami. this way, I have earned more money than waiting.Its my strategy.

Api helmet kadayak dammoth olu nathi minissu ipadei

your whistle blowing on plantation sector is very good.
so I have added few to my watch list.if they wake up, I will buy them.
Thank you very much VP.

Why do we see uptrend in stocks? Because market has formed their uptrend and it is a strong market. In a weak market stocks prices will go down. Strong uptrend is moving one stock to another and one sector to another. We have to have and idea about this to identify winning stocks in advance..

In this major uptrend few loss making companies and over valued companies also have appreciated more than other socks. In some situation more than 100%.Because growth players see some growth and momentum market players are following the trend. In case of KOTA we should follow the trend now. My gut feeling is KOTA will pass Rs.40 soon. If KAHA can stay around Rs.41 why not KOTA? My friends even warrants are trading over Rs.50/. Don’t you think KOTA can trade over Rs.50 in this major uptrend? When we are buying stocks we are buying a part of their business. When we buy warrants it is not part of a business until it convert to shares.

Good luck!

http://wallstcheatsheet.com/life/tea-time-how-drinking-the-beverage-can-save-your-life.html/?a=viewall

Tea Time: How Drinking The Beverage Can Save Your Life

SUSMITA BARAL | MORE ARTICLES
SEPTEMBER 19, 2014

Drinking tea is a vice for many, but it is a vice that can extend your life span. According to researchers, who studied nearly 150,000 subjects, drinking tea can reduce non-cardiovascular mortality by a whopping 24 percent.

“If you have to choose between tea or coffee it’s probably better to drink tea,” said Professor Nicolas Danchin, who presented the findings at the ESC Congress, in a press release. “Coffee and tea are important components of our way of life. Their effects on cardiovascular (CV) health have been investigated in the past with sometimes divergent results. We investigated the effects of coffee and tea on CV mortality and non-CV mortality in a large French population at low risk of cardiovascular diseases.”

The researchers looked at subjects aged 18 to 95 at the Paris IPC Preventive Medicine Center between January 2001 and December 2008. They then used self-administered questionnaire to determine coffee and tea consumption and categorized it into three categories — none, one to four cups a day, and more than four cups a day. “Overall we tend to have a higher risk profile for coffee drinkers and a lower risk profile for tea drinkers,” said Danchin. “We also found big differences with gender. Men tend to drink coffee much more than women, while women tend to drink more tea than men.”

Additionally, non-coffee drinkers were found to be more physically active as tea drinkers physical activity increased with the amount of tea they drank. A minor blood pressure benefit was seen, with tea drinkers having a slightly lower blood pressure than coffee drinkers. Specifically, a 4-5 mmHg decrease in SBP and 3 mmHg decrease in DBP. “Overall we tend to have a higher risk profile for coffee drinkers and a lower risk profile for tea drinkers,” added Danchin. “We also found big differences with gender. Men tend to drink coffee much more than women, while women tend to drink more tea than men.”

The reason why tea was significantly healthier and a life-saving beverage is due to the flavonoid content, an antioxidant that is considered to be heart-healthy. “Tea drinking lowered the risk of non-CV death by 24% and the trend towards lowering CV mortality was nearly significant,” concluded Danchin. “When we extended our analysis to 2011 we found that tea continued to reduce overall mortality during the 6 year period. Interestingly, most of the effect of tea on non-CV mortality was found in current or ex-smokers, while tea had a neutral effect in non-smokers.”
He added: “Tea has antioxidants which may provide survival benefits. Tea drinkers also have healthier lifestyles so does tea drinking reflect a particular person profile or is it tea, per se, that improves outcomes — for me that remains an open question. Pending the answer to that question, I think that you could fairly honestly recommend tea drinking rather than coffee drinking and even rather than not drinking anything at all.”

If you’re not sold — and you really should be — then know that tea has a wide array of other benefits. Previous research has found many benefits: The American Journal of Physiology found improved muscle endurance, the BBC reports a reduced risk of heart attack, the Institute of Science in Societyhas found tea offers protection against cardiovascular and degenerative diseases, studies in theNational Center for Biotechnology Information have found tea to provide protection against a variety of cancers (e.g. breast, colon, colorectal, esophagus, liver, lung, pancreas, prostate, small intestine, stomach, oral cancers and  ovarian), and the Movement Disorders Journal discovered a lowered risk of Parkinson’s disease.

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140921/business-times/elders-home-for-retired-workers-opens-next-month-courtesy-elpitiya-plantations-118349.html

Elders’ home for retired workers opens next month courtesy Elpitiya Plantations

Alpitiya Plantations PLC has taken a gratifying step towards opening next month an elders home for retired workers of its Dunsinane, Sheen, Fernlands, Meddecombra, New Peacock and Nayapane Estates.

The home, complete with all amenities and built at a cost of over Rs. 25 million, will be opened in October at Meddecombra Estate. It is a project undertaken by Elpitiya Plantations together with Fondation Abbe Pierre (a French donor agency) and facilitated by Programmes d’Aide et de Développement destinés aux Enfants du Monde (PADEM) of France, the plantation company said.

The elders’ home will house 40 occupants – 20 male and 20 female residents.

Constructed in a pleasant and eco-friendly environment aimed at enabling the elderly, retired workers to spend their ‘sunset years’ in a peaceful and healthy atmosphere, it will include recreation rooms with TVs, washrooms for the disabled with hot water and other amenities, gardens with walkways and ponds and a modern kitchen, the company said.
Residents of the elders’ home will be provided meals, including nutrition supplements and medical facilities completely free-of-charge, with funds from Elpitiya Plantations and contributions from well-wishers.
“At Elpitiya Plantations we take our obligations towards our workers very seriously, even when they are no longer part of our workforce,” noted Executive Director of Elpitiya Plantations, Tony Goonewardena. “The home for the elderly and retired underscores our commitment to our workforce.” He said the home initiative is part of a wider programme by the company to improve living conditions of workers by upgrading facilities of their present accommodation.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/yunnan-quake-pu-er-tea/1409662.html

Yunnan quake: Pu’er tea unscathed, but prices may climb

Tea plantations at Pu'er City were not affected by the deadly earthquake which rocked China's Yunnan province, but tea prices are still expected to climb due to the dry weather.

PU’ER CITY: Plantations at one of China’s main tea-growing regions, Pu’er City, have been left unscathed by the deadly earthquake which hit Yunnan province on Tuesday (Oct 7). However, tea prices, which have been continuously on the rise, are still expected to climb.

The 6.6-magnitude earthquake left one person dead and more than 300 injured, with over 100,000 displaced.

Suppliers said dry weather in the last two years has resulted in limited amount of good tea leaves. “Tea leaves didn't sprout. Demand was higher than supply, so prices shot up. It's normal,” said Ma Jiashun, a tea processing plant owner.

Ma said orders for Pu'er tea have doubled in the past three years as demand grew for the tea, which is said to aid weight loss and lower blood pressure. Prices soared by at least 30 per cent this year across the board, and aged Pu'er tea is now going for as high as US$300 per kilogram.

Pu’er tea retailer Tong Guangzhong said: "The taste of the tea directly affect its price. The period of production and each year of storage for leaves from an ancient tea plant will impact its overall market value."

The tea-growing industry came to a standstill in 2007 after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit the region, damaging processing plants and killing dozens of workers.

Even though the city is not affected this time, industry players said fear of shortages and price hikes may drive some to hoard tea leaves. But those who do so may stand to lose, experts said, since the leaves freshly plucked during spring are the ones which fetch the highest prices.

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2014/10/13/Why-Tea-New-Coffee

Why Tea is the New Coffee

Y MARINE COLE,
The Fiscal Times October 13, 2014

With coffee prices doubling this year, Americans are increasingly turning to tea and a whole industry is flourishing as a result.

Arabica-coffee prices surged amid lower supply due to erratic rainfall, which affected output from Brazil, The Wall Street Journal reported last week. Earlier, the drought was the major disruptor affecting coffee prices. In recent years, coffee prices have also gone up because of a fungus ravaging crops in Mexico and Central American and beetles attacking plantations around the world.

Related: 9 Reasons You’re Paying More for Groceries
However, the rising cost of coffee isn’t the only reason tea has become so popular. Americans have been gravitating more toward healthier, which has prompted a whole range of types of tea to emerge, including green tea and white tea.

More recently, kombucha, a fermented tea drank cold and usually sold in a bottle, has become a trendy healthy alternative. Kombucha and other ready-to-drink teas in bottles such as iced tea have made it easier for consumers to purchase and drink on the go. This search for healthy alternatives and for convenience has fueled the tea industry in the past 10 years.

The total wholesale value of tea sold in the U.S. has grown from under $2 billion dollars 10 years ago to well over $10 billion in 2013, according to the Tea Association of the USA.

While tea has been widely available at coffee shops and grocery stores (mostly in packaged dry tea bags), specialized tea parlors are sprouting everywhere in the country, and the one company that revolutionized the way we drink coffee is now trying to do the same with our tea.

Starbucks, which owns Tazo tea brand, purchased Teavana in December 2012, and has already opened 366 stores in 2013, including its first “tea bar” in New York City. Meanwhile Argo tea chain has been growing steadily for the past decade. It’s also been hard to avoid the thousands of independent teahouses popping up around the country, especially in San Francisco’s Bay Area.

Even supermarkets are expanding their tea offering. Last week, Supermarket News reported that some Haggen Food & Pharmacy and Whole Foods stores have added kombucha stations where customers can fill out growlers with their favorite flavored fermented tea.

Related: 8 Things You Didn’t Know About Coffee
“While kombucha is still somewhat of a niche trend, its popularity has been growing,” the article said. “SN sister publication New Hope, which focuses on the natural foods industry, calls functional beverages like kombucha one of the next decade’s top food and beverage trends.”

With so much happening in the tea category, the industry is likely to experience another decade of growth.

Budget pisitive for plantations