Kumara Dharmasena now a planter of ‘liquid gold’

Kumara Dharmasena

From a humble cricketer at Nalanda College to hot favourite of the Sri Lanka team and later an elite umpire, Kumara Dharmasena has taken his interests deep into the heart of the country as a planter of trees that produce an ingredient that makes perfume.

Dharmasena, believe it or not, has in his possession 12,800 of the ‘perfume trees’ known by its native name Vallapatta, in English Agarwood, growing on 139 acres of land near Kalawana in the Ratnapura district.

In Galle on October 29, he will launch what will be the first branch of his company called Pintenna Plantations from where saplings of the trees could be purchased among other aspects.

The trees produce a substance called Oud-oil that he also exports with a government license which is one of the key ingredients that go towards producing perfumes. Some call it ‘liquid gold’.

The trees can grow to as high as 60 feet and Dharmasena commenced his Oud-oil producing project in 2009 after initially cultivating tea, rubber and pepper on the 139 acres 20 years ago.

“I love farming and cultivation and like cricket I also had this dream of doing something like this so it should not come as a surprise to anyone,” said Dharmasena who was a member of the World Cup champion team of 1996.