China, India eyeing Sri Lanka's phosphate deposit: Minister

China and India has expressed interest in Sri Lanka's rock phosphate deposits from which the government itself cannot make high grade fertilizer, a government minister told an economic forum in Colombo.

Sri Lanka's phosphate deposit in the north central region of Eppawela, has been a political hot potato for years, and attempts to develop it with a Western mining firm ran into stiff opposition.

"I have visited several Indian plants which have technology to add value to the rock phosphate, and China is also interested," Industrial Development Minister Kumar Welgama told an economic forum organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

Welgama said the government itself was planning an 800 million rupee fertilizer plant that would make Single Super Phosphate (SSP) which was a low grade fertilizer.

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