“Sri Kumar consulted to steer oil palm industry in Sri Lanka”
With reference to the Business Times report under the above headline appearing in the April 2, 2017 edition, retired planter Rex Perera has disputed the fact that S. Sri Kumar was a pioneer in oil palm plantations in Sri Lanka. Below is the full text of Mr. Perera’s letter:
“Oil palm was introduced as a plantation crop in Sri Lanka at Nakiadeniya Group in 1966 with the nursery work commencing in 1965. The first batch of seeds was imported from Malaysia and germinated in one of the smoke houses by Digdola Rubber Factory at Nakiadeniya. The plantation was owned by Grand Central and Sterling Company, managed by M/s. Carson Cumberbatch and Company and the manager was Gerry Wells. I was the Assistant Superintendent in charge of the initial project and worked in this plantation for 16 years.
Nakiadeniya Group was the largest plantation in Sri Lanka at that time and comprised 7300 acres. Under the then management we increased the acreage by 380 acres by 1970. Once control of Grand Central was taken over by Upali Wijewardene, a separate oil palm plantation was created and I was appointed the first Superintendent of this oil palm plantation. As per the foresight of Mr. Wijewardene, he wanted a crash programme established to increase acreage to 5000 acres and construct a viable oil extraction unit. I was only successful in establishing 2300 acres of the crop on Nakiadeniya Group before nationalisation and state management arrested its progress.
Mr. Sri Kumar may remember visiting me and spending a day with me at Nakiadeniya visiting the only oil palm plantation in Sri Lanka at that time, to observe and learn about oil palm before his departure to Malaysia.”