New rice milling factory based on demand for Akshata rice brand
View(s):Grains ‘n’ Green (pvt) Ltd, a company headed by businessman Roshan Perera has ventured into agriculture with an initial investment of Rs. 150 million.
The company has launched a new innovative brand of rice named “Akshata”, which caters to the fast growing health conscious consumers who are looking to make changes in their eating habits. The growing demand for this product has spearheaded the creation of a 50 ton rice milling factory before the end of the year, the company said in a media release.
It is available in leading supermarkets island-wide with traditional rice varieties – Pachcha-Perumal, Suwandel, Kuruluthuda, etc and sold in convenient packs of 800 grammes.
According to company Chairman Roshan Perera, “Akshata” will soon be available in Australia, capitalising on the need for gluten free and a low GI staple food diet already making waves in the west. He said, “The rice milling factory will revolutionise the local flour industry, ending the monopoly of wheat flour, which will in turn boost the economy due to reduced imports.”
The company said it has identified the key gene that determines the GI of rice, an important achievement that meets consumer needs and the future need for rice flour to replace the need to import wheat flour.
Mr. Perera is a Sri Lankan entrepreneur, business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He was the CEO of a ceramic factory in 1996 which he geared to make it into Asia’s largest ceramic figurine manufacturing company. He eventually owned the company employing over 5000 staff. The company was the flagship supplier to multinationals like Disney, Hallmark and Walmart.