Udupussellawa, Hapugastenne Plantations appoint members to Board
Dr. Pradeep Uluwaduge, Chairman/Non-Executive Director, Udupussellawa and Hapugastenne; Kamantha Amarasekara, Non-Executive Director, Udupussellawa and Hapugastenne; Sunjeevani Kotakadeniya, Non-Executive Director, Udupussellawa and Hapugastenne; T. Dharmarajah, Non-Executive Director, Udupussellawa and Hapugastenne; Anusha Suhanda Perera, Executive Director, Udupussellawa and Hapugastenne and G.D.V. Perera, Senior Consultant Udupussellawa, Hapugastenne Plantations and Maturata Plantations Limited
Udupussellawa Plantations PLC and Hapugastenne Plantations PLC, which are operated under Browns Plantations, have appointed four new Non-Executive Directors to its boards effective March 30, 2022; Dr. Pradeep Uluwaduge, Kamantha Amarasekara, Sunjeevani Kotakadeniya and T. Dharmarajah.
Anusha Suhanda Perera, who currently serves on the board sof the aforementioned companies as an Independent Non-Executive Director, has been appointed Executive Director of both plantations. Dr. Pradeep Uluwaduge took over as Chairman of both Udupussellawa Plantations and Hapugastenne Plantations as the successor of Anusha Suhanda Perera. G.D.V. Perera who is a veteran planter and the former Chairman of the Planters’ Association have also joined Browns Plantations as a Senior Consultant effective April 01, 2022.
With the acquisition of Udupussellawa and Hapugastenne plantations, Browns Plantations has grown to be recognised as one of the largest plantation companies in Sri Lanka. Browns Plantations prides itself in being a key supplier to the Colombo Tea Auction, which is the oldest uninterrupted one in the world. The Company with its emphasis on exceptional quality has set new standards in offering ‘a good cup of tea.’ For over 150 years, the tea industry led by resilient planters, spearheaded Sri Lanka’s economy and continues to play a significant role in the country’s development.
From January to December 2021, Browns Plantations has produced and sold over 12,321,994kg of tea as the largest tea producer in Sri Lanka with a total market share of 15% among the Regional Plantation Companies (RPC), which makes it the number one producer of Ceylon tea in Sri Lanka.
Dr. Pradeep Uluwaduge stated, “LOLC Group ventured into the plantation sector a decade ago as a result of its business diversification strategy. We recently acquired Udupussellawa Plantations and Hapugastenne Plantations, which were under the wing of Finlays.”
“We are optimistic about the enormous potential of these estates and will focus on the merits of the industry, which sustained the country for decades and will continue to support the economy in the future. We are certain that we can turn these two plantations around to be the most profitable plantation business in the country while ensuring sustainability at every stage of our operations.”
Udupussellawa Plantations owns 11 estates, while Udupussellawa Plantations is more focused on growing exceptional quality Ceylon Tea, the portfolio boasts a wide range of crops such as Rubber, Coconut, Coffee, Cocoa, Pepper, and Cardamom and 19 estates come under Hapugastenne Plantations.
Browns Plantations, which falls under Browns Investments, owns and manages Maturata Plantations as well. Maturata Plantations comprises of 11 Tea estates in the Nuwara Eliya District and another 8 estates in the Matara District with Tea, Cinnamon and Rubber.