Sri Lanka’s first canned fish factory opens today

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to declare open the first ever semi-Government owned fish canning factory at the Fisheries Corporation premises in Galle in Southern Province on 3 April.

The cannery, built at a cost of Rs. 840 million, is a joint venture of Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC) and Happy Cook Lanka Food Pvt Ltd.

Initially, the factory is expected to produce 10,000 cans per day. The CFC plans to double the daily production capacity later.

In addition to the Galle Fish Canning Factory, two more fish canning factories will be established in Peliyagoda and Mundalama as soon as possible, Minister of Fisheries Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.

On average Sri Lankans consume around 50,000 fish cans per day and the Government spends over Rs. 4 billion annually for canned fish imports. The Government expects to produce 40,000 fish cans per day by the three factories and curtail the imports at least by 30 per cent.

Minister Senaratne says that the Government will save a massive foreign expenditure that flows out of the country for canned fish and also will be able to provide a high quality product while providing employment for the local youth. (www.colombopage.com)