Serendib Horticulture technologies marks 25 years of global plant export excellence

Serendib Horticulture Technologies Pvt Ltd recently celebrated 25 years in the export business. The Deputy Head of Mission at Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Iwan Rutjens was the Chief guest with several academics in the agriculture and floriculture sectors present with other Horticulture experts and industry personnel and public sector officials.

Serendib Horticulture Technologies Pvt Ltd, first formed in 1999, has been in the business of exporting plants to countries around the world for 25 years. This is not a small task for an SME company to survive and grow in this very competitive and challenging environment. At present, it is one of the leading companies in the business of exporting plants in Sri Lanka.

When the company started in 1999, the main export products were rooted plants. These plants were sourced through the company’s own mother plants and also through plant suppliers. Tissue culture propagated plants took second place where the exports were only around 300,000 plants. Over the next few years the company expanded its markets in Holland, USA, Australia, Denmark, Korea, Japan, Rwanda, Iran, Canada, Qatar and Pakistan.

Under the leadership of Dilip de Silva, Chairman/ CEO, the company started expanding the plant tissue culture production due to the niche market that was present 15 years ago. Production in the lab increased to nearly 2.5 million plants per year. Global giants like Dole Inc contracted Serendib Horticulture to produce their requirement of Banana and Pineapple plants through tissue culture, Serendib Horticulture also designed and managed an Asian Development Bank funded laboratory to produce aquatic plants for export in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries.

The challenges the company faced were many. From losing markets due to global financial crisis, in early 2000 periods to high cost of finance in the local banks, a strategic decision was taken by De Silva in 2006/2007, to get into international consultancies.

The company was selected to do a comprehensive feasibility study for the Ministry of Environment in Qatar to establish a regional Biotechnology Center. Subsequently consultancies were carried out in Rwanda and Iran. At each of these consultancies, local staff was recruited to train foreign staff. Local graduates gained employment in those countries subsequently at the completion of the consultancy. Technology transfer was identified as a source of income through these consultancies.

At present the company operates its laboratory at Boralesgamuwa producing over 2 million plants per year only for export. Its state-of-the-art facility employs over 50 persons from different parts of the country. Due to its highly efficient management systems, the company has been able to compete in the global market with countries like China and India.

“On the basis of net turnover on a per square meter, we have a highly efficient system unmatched in Sri Lanka and many laboratories in the world, “ De Silva said.

The company also holds one patent in Europe. This is the only company in Sri Lanka that has a patent in Europe for a floriculture product. Serendib Horticulture is working on a one million tree project for export over the next 5 years. This will entail the participation of many rural women and cooperatives, which will give a boost to the rural economy.

With the dedication and the commitment the company has, to uplift the floriculture industry in Sri Lanka, Serendib Horticulture would be the best in the business in the South Asian region in the near future.

Source:Daily News