Prima Limited

What Prima Limited does

Prima Limited (Sri Lanka operating entity: Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited) is one of the largest integrated food industry conglomerates in Sri Lanka, with operations spanning wheat flour milling, animal feed production, poultry breeding and commercial farming, consumer food manufacturing, agricultural seed distribution, bakery training, IT services, bakery equipment imports, and property management. The group was established in Sri Lanka in 1977 as the first recorded foreign direct investment in the country and is a subsidiary of Prima Limited (Singapore), founded in 1961. The flagship asset is the Trincomalee flour milling complex, completed in 1980, which at the time was one of the world's largest flour mills under one roof with daily capacity of 3,650MT of wheat and 350,000MT of total silo storage following the August 2015 expansion. The milling process is fully automated using Bühler (Switzerland) equipment.

Prima generates revenue across at least eight distinct streams: B2B wheat flour (11 categories, 50kg/25kg/5kg pack sizes); consumer brands including Prima Flour, Prima KottuMee (the #1 instant noodle in Sri Lanka), Prima Chicken, Prima Stella Dairy, Prima Treats, Prima Sunrise bread, Prima Stella Jam, and Prima Stella Sauce; animal feed for poultry, cattle, swine, horse, fish, and shrimp produced by Ceylon Grain Elevators PLC; day-old chicks (Hy-line and Indian River breeds) and poultry vaccines via Three Acre Farms PLC; agricultural hybrid seeds (maize, fodder, paddy, vegetables) pioneered since 1998; bakery equipment through Prima Ceylon Machinery; IT services (Sales Force Automation, IP surveillance, INFOR M3 ERP consulting) through Prima Management Services; and property management through Prima Land (Park Royal Apartment).

The group serves four primary customer segments: consumer/retail (distributed through a top-5-ranked island-wide network per Kantar-LMRB 2019); B2B bakeries and food manufacturers (supported by a 100+ years combined-experience Bakery Technical Team and the only TVEC-registered baking academy in Sri Lanka); commercial poultry farmers (feed, chicks, technical advisory from five breeder farms plus Millennium Multibreeder Farms); and QSR/food service operators (McDonald's, Burger King, Domino's, Subway, Dinemore, Fab). Go-to-market combines a wide distributor network, direct B2B feed sales, direct enterprise IT sales, and a seed distribution center network reaching 20,000+ farmers annually. Exports reach 5 continents. Subsidiaries Ceylon Grain Elevators PLC and Three Acre Farms PLC are publicly listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange; the parent Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited remains privately held. The group holds ISO 9001, ISO 9002, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, HACCP, SLS, and Halal certifications across facilities.

Name

Prima Limited

Legal name

Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited

Website

https://prima.com.lk/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Prima Limited is one of Sri Lanka's largest integrated food conglomerates, operating flour milling, poultry feed and breeding, consumer food brands, bakery training, and IT services. It serves consumers, B2B bakeries, poultry farmers, and QSR chains through an island-wide distribution network and exports to 5 continents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122), Poultry and Poultry Product Merchant Wholesalers (424440), Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116), Poultry and Egg Production (1123), Commercial Bakeries (311812)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Bakery Products (2050), Dairy Products (2020), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro primary industry

Starches, Flours & Milling Products Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wholesale / Commercial Bakeries (B2B Supply) (THAFAFAF), Private-Label / Own-Brand Broadline Distributors (AFAIAAAI)

Keywords

• Flour milling
• Consumer food brands
• Animal feed production
• Bakery training services
• Integrated poultry farming

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Flour Milling: Prima Ceylon (Private) Limited is the flagship company and the core business of Prima Group — wheat flour milling. Produces 11 different categories of wheat flour (Bread, Biscuits, Household, Roti, Noodles, etc.) for B2B customers and consumers, available in 50kg, 25kg and 5kg sizes. The Trincomalee mill has daily capacity of 3,650MT wheat. Integrated value chain from wheat import to flour distribution.
2. Consumer Food Brands: Ceylon Agro Industries manufactures and sells consumer brands including Prima Flour, Prima KottuMee (instant noodles, #1 in Sri Lanka), Prima Chicken (chilled/frozen poultry), Prima Stella Dairy (yoghurt, curd, fresh milk, flavored milk, cheese, fresh cream), Prima Treats (processed meats/sausages), Prima Sunrise bread, Prima Stella Jam, and Prima Stella Sauce.
3. Animal Feed (Poultry & Cattle): Ceylon Grain Elevators PLC produces animal feed (ISO 9001 certified feed mill) for poultry, cattle, swine, horse, fish and shrimp. CGE is the largest integrated poultry & cattle feed business in Sri Lanka. Also includes breeder farms, hatcheries, commercial broiler farms, and poultry vaccine/equipment import and resale. Introduced customized feed for high-yielding dairy cattle.
4. IT Services & Solutions: Prima Management Services provides IT solutions including software development (PMS Sales Force Automation, Vehicle Queue Management System), IP security surveillance solutions (AXIS cameras, Milestone VMS), IT consultancy (Business Process Automation, INFOR M3 ERP Implementation), and helpdesk/IT support services.
5. Bakery Equipment: Prima Ceylon Machinery imports and sells international standard bakery equipment and machineries to Sri Lankan bakers, providing technical and maintenance services to support and upgrade the baking industry.
6. Agriculture Seeds & Farming Inputs: Ceylon Agro Industries distributes hybrid seeds (maize, fodder, seed paddy, vegetable seeds) to farmers through centers offering education, advice, training, and contract cultivation programmes. Pioneered hybrid maize seeds in Sri Lanka since 1998 with buy-back guarantee. Brands include Sugargraze and Nutrifeed (fodder).
7. Property Management & Investment: Prima Land manages Park Royal Apartment (luxury condominium in Colombo) and makes strategic investments in public-listed and private companies and residential, commercial, and leisure developments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Prima Group in Sri Lanka operates an integrated food industry value chain anchored by wheat flour milling at the Trincomalee mega-mill (3,650MT daily capacity) and extending through consumer food manufacturing (Prima KottuMee noodles, Prima Chicken, Prima Stella dairy, Prima Sunrise bread, Prima Treats processed meats), poultry feed and breeding (Ceylon Grain Elevators and Three Acre Farms), hybrid seed agriculture, bakery equipment sales, the TVEC-registered Prima Baking Training Centre, and Prima Management Services IT solutions. The group serves both B2B customers (bakeries, QSRs like McDonald's, Burger King, Domino's, and Subway) and B2C consumers through an island-wide distributor network ranked among Sri Lanka's top 5 food brands.

Product overview

Prima Group in Sri Lanka operates as an integrated food conglomerate with multiple distinct business units. The core offering encompasses flour milling (Prima Wheat Flour, Prima Flour for consumer and B2B markets) and wheat-based products including Prima KottuMee instant noodles and Prima Sunrise bread. The portfolio extends to poultry operations through Ceylon Grain Elevators (feed milling, breeder farms, hatcheries) and Ceylon Agro Industries (processed meats, dairy under Prima Stella brand, jams, sauces). Supporting services include bakery technical services and the Prima Baking Training Centre offering NVQ-certified diploma and certificate courses. IT services are provided through Prima Management Services (PMS) covering Sales Force Automation, IP Surveillance Solutions, and IT Consultancy. Property management is handled by Prima Land. The company also supplies agricultural seeds (maize, fodder, vegetable, paddy) and bakery equipment through dedicated subsidiaries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prima Flour: Premium specialty flour including varieties for cakes, pastries, string hoppers, roti types, and cookies
• Prima Chicken
• Prima KottuMee
• Prima Stella Dairy
• Prima Treats
• Prima Sunrise
• Prima Stella Jam
• Prima Stella Sauce
• Toppz
• Prima Feed
• Three Acre Farms

Products and services

• Prima Wheat Flour (B2B) Wheat flour for bakeries and food industries across 11 categories (Bread, Biscuits, Household, Roti, Noodles, String Hopper, Cake, Pastry, etc.), distributed island-wide in 50kg, 25kg, and 5kg pack sizes.
• Prima Flour (Consumer) Specialty flours for household consumers including varieties for cakes, pastries, string hoppers, rotti, and cookies, marketed as nutritional, economical, hygienically packed, and convenient.
• Prima KottuMee Instant Noodles Award-winning instant noodle brand recognized as the #1 instant noodle product in Sri Lanka for superior taste, quality, and nutritional value.
• Prima Chicken (Chilled and Frozen) High-quality chicken products distributed island-wide as chilled and frozen portions, processed under HACCP, ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 certifications. Includes whole chicken, cuts, wings, drumsticks, breasts, boneless portions, soup curry, liver, gizzard, and pet food.
• Prima Sunrise Bread Branded bread products including enriched white, enriched whole meal (no added sugar), enriched premium, crust top, and bread buns; the only bread fortified with vitamin and mineral supplements in Sri Lanka.
• Prima Treats Processed Meats Value-added chicken products including sausages, cold meats, meatballs, and crumber products prepared to unique local recipes.
• Prima Stella Dairy Dairy range including yoghurt, curd, drinking yoghurt, fresh milk, flavored milk, fresh cream, and natural cheese manufactured from fresh cow's milk under strict hygienic conditions.
• Prima Stella Jam Jam range in Mix fruit, Strawberry, and Woodapple flavors produced to high quality standards.
• Prima Stella Sauce Tomato sauce produced to high quality standards, available in multiple convenient SKU sizes.
• Animal Feed (Poultry, Cattle, Swine, Horse, Fish, Shrimp) Animal feed produced by Ceylon Grain Elevators PLC from its ISO 9001 certified feed mill, with poultry feed as the core category and customized feed for high-yielding dairy cattle.
• Day Old Chicks, Vaccines and Poultry Equipment Hy-line layer chicks and Indian River breeder and broiler chicks from Three Acre Farms breeder farms and hatcheries, plus imported poultry vaccines, medicines, and equipment marketed across Sri Lanka.
• Agricultural Seeds (Hybrid Maize, Fodder, Paddy, Vegetable) Agricultural seed inputs including pioneering hybrid maize seeds (since 1998), fodder seeds (Sugargraze, Nutrifeed), seed paddy, and vegetable seeds distributed through seed centers with extension services and contract cultivation programmes.
• Bakery Equipment and Machinery Import and sale of international standard baking equipment and machineries to Sri Lankan bakers, with technical and maintenance services to upgrade the local baking industry.
• Prima Management Services IP Surveillance Solutions Video surveillance solutions built on AXIS network cameras and Milestone video management software, including face recognition and video analytics, deployed at airports and government infrastructure projects.
• Prima Management Services Software Development Customized software products including PMS Sales Force Automation and Vehicle Queue Management System for order processing, inventory monitoring, sales forecasting, and customer evaluation.
• Prima Management Services IT Consultancy Professional IT consulting covering Business Process Automation, Network and System Optimization, Axis Security Solutions, and INFOR M3 ERP Implementation for enterprises and government organizations.
• Prima Baking Training Centre (PBTC) Diploma Courses NVQ Level 3 and 4 competency-based diploma courses including Diploma in Baking (BIL-III), Diploma in Baking (BIL-II), and Diploma in Baking (DIB) covering bread, cake, pastry, chocolate, desserts, wedding cakes, and bakery management.
• Prima Baking Training Centre Certificate Courses Competency-based certificate courses with hands-on application of fundamental baking techniques including Baking Principles for Bakers, Advanced Patisserie, Advanced Fundamentals in Baking, and Cake Decoration.
• Park Royal Apartment Property Management Property management of Park Royal Apartment, a luxury condominium in Colombo offering residential units with recreational facilities, security, and amenities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Prima Noodles is the #1 Instant Noodle brand in Sri Lanka
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AXIS CommunicationscoreTechnology or IntegrationPMS partnered with AXIS, the world's first network camera inventor, to provide state-of-the-art IP video surveillance solutions. PMS is the only company in Sri Lanka to obtain Gold Partner certification from Axis Camera manufacturer. They provide video management software, video analytics, and face recognition software solutions.
• Milestone SystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationPMS is the only company in Sri Lanka certified in Milestone video management software, providing advanced VMS solutions alongside AXIS hardware for comprehensive IP surveillance.
• US Wheat AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBTC was previously supported by US Wheat Associates alongside Canadian Wheat Board and Australian Wheat Board, which contributed to the baking academy's early development and international alignment.
• Canadian Wheat BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBTC was previously supported by Canadian Wheat Board alongside US Wheat Associates and Australian Wheat Board for international certification and curriculum development.
• Australian Wheat BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBTC was previously supported by Australian Wheat Board alongside US Wheat Associates and Canadian Wheat Board, providing international expertise for the baking academy.
• Hy-line InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationCGE markets world-renowned Hy-line layer and Indian River breeder and broiler chicks, sourcing day-old chicks from these international poultry genetics companies.
• Indian River ( Aviagen)coreTechnology or IntegrationCGE markets world-renowned Indian River breeder and broiler chicks alongside Hy-line, providing Sri Lankan farmers with elite international poultry genetics.
• Rice Research and Development Institute, Sri LankaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAI conducts studies with the Rice Research and Development Institute to develop better technology and seed varieties for paddy farming in Sri Lanka.
• IDM (Computer Training Provider)minorOthersPMS subsidizes computer training courses at the Daniyagama Computer Training Centre through IDM, offering courses for children (ages 7-13), basic computer skills (O/Level students), and diploma-level web development and programming (A/Level+).
• Singapore International FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrima along with Singapore International Foundation was part of a joint sponsorship for refurbishing the Children's Section of the Jaffna Library, including desktop computers, reading section, and modern furniture.
• Sri Lanka CricketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrima Champions Cup — Under-15 inter-district and inter-provincial cricket tournaments — has been run in partnership with Sri Lanka Cricket for 12 years.
• Royal Colombo Golf ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with Royal Colombo Golf Club, Prima sponsors the Prima Sunrise Junior Open Golf Championship for 12 consecutive years.
• World Renowned Poultry Vaccine and Equipment ManufacturerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCGE partnered with world's leading poultry vaccines and equipment manufacturers to import and resell across the country, fulfilling a market gap and supporting existing customers.
• Buhler (Switzerland)coreTechnology or IntegrationPrima imports state-of-the-art milling equipment from Buhler of Switzerland — the most reputable name for flour milling equipment — powering its fully automated milling process at the Trincomalee facility.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF): Thailand-based integrated poultry and feed conglomerate with feed milling, breeder farms, food manufacturing, and consumer brands across Asia. Closest peer to Prima's vertically integrated poultry-to-retail model and Asian flour/feed footprint.
• ITC Limited: Indian diversified conglomerate with FMCG foods, agribusiness, and hotel/paperboard adjacencies. Highly comparable diversification pattern to Prima Group and operates in South Asia with similar wheat-to-consumer value chain.
• Almarai: Saudi Arabian integrated dairy, bakery, and poultry foods conglomerate with massive capital infrastructure and brand-led distribution across MENA. Comparable in scale of capital intensity, vertical integration, and consumer brand-led model.

Broad incumbents

• Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): Global grain originator and processor operating large-scale flour milling, oilseed processing, and nutrition ingredient businesses. Comparable in large-scale flour milling operations and capital-intensive commodity processing.
• Bunge Limited: Global agribusiness and food company operating grain origination, oilseed processing, and flour milling across multiple continents. Comparable in wheat trading, milling infrastructure, and B2B ingredient supply model.
• Cargill: Global privately-held food and agriculture conglomerate with grain processing, animal nutrition, and food ingredients businesses. Comparable in scale and breadth of food/feed value chain integration.
• Tyson Foods: US-based integrated poultry processor with breeder farms, feed milling, processing, and branded chicken products. Comparable in vertically integrated poultry value chain and Prima Chicken's HACCP/ISO-certified operations.
• CJ CheilJedang: Korean food and bio conglomerate operating flour milling, frozen foods, processed meats, and consumer brands globally. Comparable in flour milling scale plus processed consumer foods diversification.

Regional players

• Dabur India: Indian FMCG major with established consumer food and personal care brands across South Asia. Comparable as a South Asian consumer-brand-led food operator with similar distribution and category leadership ambitions.

Others

• Glanbia plc: Global nutrition and dairy group combining ingredient processing (cheese, whey) with branded consumer nutrition products. Comparable in dairy processing scale and consumer nutrition brand positioning versus Prima Stella.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PrimaFlourExpressions
• Instagraminstagram.com/primakottumeelk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prima-ceylon-private-ltd

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prima Limited