A sugar factory that can manufacture 80,000 to 100,000 metric tons of sugar annually will be setup in Bibile, Wellassa. Commissioning of the factory will help to save Rs.3.5 billions in foreign exchange spent on importing sugar annually, Supplementary Plantation Crops Development Minister R.M.Dharmadasa Banda said.
The Ministry will spend Rs. 25 billion and the factory will be built under a private partnership.

Preliminary work pertaining to the construction of the factory has already been completed and the approval of environmental authorities obtained.

The Minister said 49,000 out of 96,000 acres have been recommended for the cultivation of sugarcane for the factory. Farmers are said to have shown a special interest in this project and are expected to cultivate sugarcane in these lands.

The factory will have an output of 5000 MT of sugar per day. Ethanol will be produced as a bi-product of the industry and will generate 25MW of electricity through the process.

The factory will also provide 1,200 direct and over 35,000 indirect job opportunities for the youth in the area.

(Courtesy : Department of Information )