|
Oasis
Marketing gets ISO
Oasis Marketing Co. Ltd., has recently achieved the ISO 9001:2000
Certification from the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI).
Under the leadership of its Managing Director Sumith De Silva,
with their dedicated staff, with a purview of ‘to give
the best to the farming community of Sri Lanka’, Oasis
Marketing was inaugurated in the year 1996.
A spokesman said that, fertilisation is the key to the productive
growth of a crop. If one could give quality fertiliser to
the farmer, that would be a great assistance, to the farmer
in making his harvest, a bountiful one. Therefore, Oasis Marketing
has embarked on the ‘target hit’, by introducing
fast action foliar nutrition in the eco friendly way.
Their first mission was sea weed extract foliar feed, as the
major agricultural input. Seaweed extract fertiliser imported
from U.K. and packed in Sri Lanka, under brand names of Agri
Crop & Agri Master, won the hearts of the small scale
and large scale farmers, simply due to the fact that, it was
outstanding, as far as the plant growth and harvest are concerned.
The other important fact is that, these seaweed extract foliar
nutrients are eco friendly. There were no side effects, both
on crops and human.
The next move of fertilisation was in to in-organic foliar
fertilizer. Rosier was the brand name for, basic N,P,K, +
Trace elements complex water soluble foliar nutrient.
The ‘Oasis’ had other options. They did not want
to offer the same to farmers, as common product for all kinds
of vegetables and flower plants. They made these basic complex
fertilizer, into a value added product, by blending with other
plant nutrients, specific to different kinds of vegetables
and flowers.
Oasis, for the first time in Sri Lanka, categorised the vegetables
and had different formulations of foliar nutrients, for different
types of crops and gardening plants. To name a few, Tomato
Chillie Master, Onion Plus, Potato plus, Anthurium Extra and
Orchid Extra.
Oasis also introduced a new concept in fertilising. Besides
traditional fertilizer, they introduced a mixture of chemical
fertilizer, with granular fertilizer, plus a unique organic
granular fertiliser. This range of fertiliser was called ‘wonder
products’ for Tea, Potato, and Leeks. They were called
Tea wonder for Tea plantations, Potato wonder and Leeks wonder
for Potato and Leeks cultivation respectively. Potato wonder
had some proven results, with some serious trials, carried
out with expert potato cultivators. They have gained bountiful
harvest in potato, with an increase of 30% or more. The larger
yams of potato, were a common sight in most of the fields,
when Potato Wonder was applied.
The fertilisation mentality became a total plant care by Oasis.
Here, they made the first move towards plant care or plant
protection. The Agro Chemicals or pesticides had been the
choice. To import Agro Chemicals is a challenging task. The
approval from Registrar of Pesticides from the Dept. of Agriculture
was required and they have successfully competed the issue.
“The agro chemicals business was very competitive and
Oasis had to compete with 15 major Agro Chemicals Companies.
With one or two kinds of agro chemicals, the competition has
been tough. Oasis solved this problem, by introducing 13 kinds
of commodity pesticides.
To make Oasis into an agro input supplies company, they widened
their wings, by introducing garden tools and shading nets,”
a Company spokesman said.
Oasis Marketing has completed their 10 years of successful
plant care services, in 2006 and the company’s strength
has become 60 carders. The sales force has spread its wings
in all parts of the island, with research and development
field force, carrying out farmer awareness programmes, about
oasis products.
By being a total plant care company, Oasis wanted to be “A
reliable plant care company” whilst providing fullest
satisfaction to their customer, the farmer. Intentions alone
did not help to achieve this goal. A proper system had to
be adopted.
They went into I.S.O. standards through Sri Lanka’s most
reliable and internationally accredited Sri Lanka Standards
Institution in Elvitigala Mawatha, Colombo 08.
Oasis required assistance in obtaining the status. Didul Kodagoda
a veteran in quality standards came to their assistance and
guided them, through theoretical and practical awareness on
the job.
Following the ISO certification, the Company is also committed
to customer satisfaction.
Oasis Marketing has been concentrating more on imports, during
the past. Now they have other ideas, to bring down foreign
exchange into Sri Lanka. To achieve this, one has to do exports.
“It is of prime importance that, we use organic matter
for our fertilisation. But you need large quantities of them,
if you apply them direct. Oasis has found a solution for this.
Most of the organic matters available in Sri Lanka, are wasted
either by burning or by throwing as waste, to a land or space
unwanted. If we have a proper plan to collect these organic
matter; coir dust, tea refuse etc. and make them a value added
organic fertilizer, by adding imported fertiliser complexes.
This is organic fertiliser, but one doesn’t have to apply
it in large quantities, because it is treated and will give
the farmer, the best results. This kind of novelty fertiliser
will definitely have a market in South East Asia and can even
be shared among SARCC countries,” the spokesman said.
|
