For the first time in the world, an ‘anti moth pest repellent bulb’ for the Agro and Industrial Sector has been introduced by TOS Lanka Co. Ltd, a joint Sri Lanka and Japanese company at the Biyagama BOI Zone.
“This has been initiated through Japanese R&R and also with inputs from JAICA and UNDP,” said TOS Lanka Co. Pvt. Ltd, President Jitsuo Mikasa who was in Sri Lanka for a brief stay. Unlike In traditional pest repellents where a light or chemicals or traps used to attract moth and destroy them, the bulb would scare away the pests.
Another unique feature of this bulb is that it’s powered by solar energy and each bulb could cover a radius of around a quarter acre. He said that this bulb has already been tested in several agrarian centers in Sri Lanka and it has proved to be very effective. “Several companies like the DPL gloves factory. Lallans Water and several companies have installed this.”
Private sector agri companies too have placed orders to purchase this nine bulb unit sold and installed under Rs. 80,000. We will also introduce this bulb to the domestic market as well in a more organized manner. On a suggestion made by ‘Daily News Business’ he also promised to explore the possibility of designing a similar bulb to drive away elephants. “I did not seriously know about this human elephant conflict.”
TOS Lanka was opened in 1995 as a BOI venture with Sri Lankan partner/ CEO Merrick Gooneratne for the assembly of electronic components and exported to leading Japanese and European companies engaged in automobile and other high end industries. He recalled that it was former President J R Jayewardene’s inspiring leadership and his speech at an UN assembly supporting Japan that made him invest in Sri Lanka. However he said that one of their business plans when investing in Sri Lanka was to ‘make in Sri Lanka ‘and export to India but that did not take off due to restrictions from India. “Due to this we could not get full investment potential from Sri Lanka operations.”
Lack of locally made raw materials, high electricity and freight costs are also making their profit margins thinner. He also lamented that when Sri Lanka called for bankruptcy they had a negative impact on their business.
“However local investment climate along with a skilled workforce is good and hence we have no major regrets in investing in Sri Lanka. Mikasa also said that they have also diversified from only fluffing their global and have started their own R@D and manufacturing.”
“Due to this we are now supplying to leading local telecom players and are also actively involved in providing solutions towards the government digitization process.”
For these we have invested around USD. 1.5 million in the last two years.
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