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Sustainability
focus wins Hayleys six National Ag-Biz awards
A catalytic role in helping Sri Lankan farmers improve yields
and quality of both agri crops and livestock has enabled the
agriculture sector companies of the Hayleys Group to sweep
the boards at the annual National Agribusiness Council Awards
2008 for a third successive year.
Hayleys Agro Products Limited (HAPL) and HJS Condiments Ltd.,
and Sunfrost Limited won three Gold awards, one Silver and
two Bronze awards at this year’s event, in yet another
acknowledgement by their peers of the impact these companies
have had on agriculture through milestone contributions to
enhancing sustainability in the sector.
Hayleys Agro Products received two Golds, one for inputs in
Agrochemicals/Fertiliser and one for Veterinary Care products,
a Silver for Services and a Bronze for Import and Supply of
Farm Machinery Equipment and Tools, while HJS took the Gold
for Marketing and Sunfrost the Bronze for Services.
Among the noteworthy recent developments credited to double
Gold winner Hayleys Agro Products is the introduction of the
latest environment-friendly non-toxic pest control products
for vegetables and paddy, the introduction of new crop-specific
and soil-specific fertiliser blends and the introduction of
new technology feed additives that improve the quality and
production of milk and eggs.
“Our focus on economically, environmentally and socially
sustainable agriculture through inputs that promote the concept
of Integrated Pest Management and the use of organic crop
protection products and more efficient fertilisers has already
had a measurable impact on farming practices and yields,”
said Rizvi Zaheed, Hayleys Group Director and Managing Director
of Hayleys Agro. “As the older, more toxic crop protection
products get phased out, Hayleys Agro has brought in leading
edge new and Greener products from world leaders such as Bayer
CropScience and Dow AgroScience.”
One such product, branded ‘Success’ an organic,
non-toxic spray to combat the Diamond Back Moth (also known
as the cabbage caterpillar) has now captured 90 per cent of
the market in this segment, he disclosed. “This is a
‘Green’ product that belongs to the Naturalyte group
of crop protection products that are at the forefront of the
drive for sustainable agriculture,” Zaheed said.
HAPL also introduced to Sri Lankan farmers a ‘targeted
pest’ category crop protection product branded ‘Mimic’
which is the first agro chemical to win the Green Chemistry
Award in the USA, and ‘Admire’ also a target-specific
low toxicity product in the Nitroguanidin category. These
products are in large scale use in the country and are bringing
about a quantum change in the quality of agricultural produce.
Meanwhile, the Gold award for Marketing won by HJS Condiments,
acknowledges the company’s success in taking its products
to new international markets. The largest fruit and vegetable
exporter from Sri Lanka, HJS Condiments participated at the
Anuga Fair 2007, and secured large orders for pickles in jars
to new customers in Poland, Greece and Holland, Zaheed said.
The company also secured the ‘Subway’ and ‘Burger
King’ accounts in Japan to supply gherkins and has increased
the number of markets to supply gherkin slices to McDonalds
and Burger King, covering UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait,
and entered the Egypt market to supply relish.
In the sphere of Veterinary Care, Hayleys Agro has introduced
‘Nutrisacc Powerpack’ a new technology product that
enhances milk production in cows. The product, a mineral supplement
that has an absorption rate of 90 per cent, comes in the form
of a powder that when added to the feed of milking cows results
in an improvement in the quantity of milk produced by an average
yielding cow by up to 25 per cent. Another technology product,
branded ‘Ultimate Toxin Protection Program’ or ‘UTPP
Biotech’ binds the toxins and inhibits mould growth in
poultry feed and feed raw materials. These toxins could inhibit
growth of chicks, hinder egg production and even result in
mortality.
In addition to introducing such latest inputs generated by
international research and development in agriculture, Hayleys
Agro continues to provide comprehensive extension services
at the grassroots level in all agricultural areas of the country
and has invested substantially in bio technology for new generation
agriculture. Simultaneously, the company continues to introduce
new products and services to build capacity in traditional
agriculture, including mechanical devices such as combine
harvesters, combine threshers and mechanical reapers that
improve productivity even in the face of labour shortages,
new high-yielding plant varieties and seed paddy.
Hayleys Agro has the advantage of being commercially involved
in virtually every stage of the life cycle of agro produce
from producing seeds to supporting the export of processed
vegetable and fruit, giving the company an unique profile
in the agriculture sector, and enabling it to add value at
many points and in many aspects. The company’s products
range from crop protection chemicals -- insecticides, fungicides
and weedicides to vegetable seeds, seed paddy and seed potatoes,
fertilizer, agri equipment including sprayers, tractors, combine
harvesters and threshers; micro irrigation systems and animal
health products including antibiotics, biologicals, feed additives
and veterinary pharmaceuticals. Marketed under a one-stop
concept, the company’s products are widely available
in over 90 per cent of agricultural outlets in the country.
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