The Legacy of Gal Oya Plantations
In the post-independent era, one of the first development projects inaugurated by the Government of Sri Lanka was the development of Gal-Oya Valley, a part of Gal-Oya basin.
An important project undertaken was to cultivate sugar cane. The decision to grow sugar cane was based on three factors: availability of mass scale flat lands, sufficient water from Inginiyagala tank, and the fact that for the traditional paddy farmer, shifting to sugar cane was not an insurmountable problem.
Gal-Oya Sugar Industries
Work on cultivation commenced in 1950, and the sugar factory commenced production activities in 1960. The factory machinery was supplied by Mirrlees Watson of UK.
Distillery Commencement
The Hingurana distillery was supplied by a French firm namely, Lapage Urbain and Cie. It commenced operations in late 1962 to produce spirit.
Sri Lanka Sugar Corporation
The Sugar factory that was originally commissioned by the Gal-Oya Development Board was transferred to the Sri Lanka Sugar Corporation.
Hingurana Sugar Co. Ltd.
The management and operations were transitioned to Hingurana Sugar Co. Ltd, beginning a new phase in the organization's corporate structure.
Temporary Closure
The factory complex, which was owned by the government since 1960, was closed in 1997 due to union unrest and mismanagement.
Present
Gal-Oya Plantations
Successfully revitalized as Gal-Oya Plantations (Pvt.) Ltd. Today, the plant produces crystal sugar and follows the defecation process, marking a successful public-private partnership.
