HVA Group goes for eco-resorts

By Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

The HVA Group, a major shareholder of HVA Foods Plc has interests in organic farming and eco resorts, earmarked for development within a year, said HVA Group Chairman Rohan Fernando. He said that the project proposal for the organic fruit farm is in place and land has been allocated.

The company, HVA Farms (Pvt) Ltd, is in the process of taking possession of the land and implementing the farm project in several stages. The final stage of the project will consist of a jungle resort with eco-friendly cottages run on solar power and natural cooling techniques.

“Installation of a production facility for organic, virgin coconut oil for a worldwide distribution franchise is planned and await final technical inputs,” Fernando said.The eco-resort will be run separate from the fruit farm but will be complementary to the project in terms of cross benefits.

The project will be launched in Puttalam. The extent of land released is 180 acres of shrub land with a further 70 acres to be released as per the court order.

Sri Lanka has seen a surge in tourist arrivals growing over 15 percent on a month-on-month basis this year. The number of arrivals is expected to touch one million by the end of this year. The government said that it would develop guidelines to build resorts inside buffer zones bordering protected areas. Work on the project is slated to commence shortly. HVA has a listed unit, HVA Foods, which exports ‘Heladiv’ branded ready to drink tea.

The organic farm was started in 1998 as a 25-acre pilot project to grow fruits and vegetables but was halted by environmental activists triggering a 10-year legal battle that ended in the Supreme Court, which finally allowed the farm, Fernando said.

As stated in the annual report, HVA Foods embarked on the franchise cafe project last December, with its first concept tea lounge being opened at the newly renovated old Dutch hospital precinct. The project an extension of the 25 tea lounges in China will launch a world-wide cafe franchise in the near future. Fernando said that the company was also successful in establishing its Ready to Dilute and Drink (RTDD) tea syrup as a commercial product shipped to the Philippines and Australia with Singapore and Japan undertaking market surveys.

The new product packed in printed glass bottles are supplied with dispenser pumps for quick dosing for dilution with water or soda water. The syrup is also recommended for use as a dessert topping. At present the product is available as “ice lemon tea concentrate” containing real lemon juice.“Soon a range of fruit flavours and green teas will be introduced to the market. These products will be available through the super market network very soon,” Fernando said.