All Island Dairy Association meets with Agriculture Minister

AIDA delegation meeting with Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage 

• To initiate a National Policy for the dairy sector, AIDA proposes formulating public-private stakeholder committee
• Hands over proposal on fodder crop cultivation to Minister

AIDA President Nishantha Jayasooriya

AIDA Vice President Binesh Pananwala

The All Island Dairy Association (AIDA) last week met with the Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage to discuss host of issues facing the industry. 

The AIDA delegation comprised of President Nishantha Jayasooriya, who is the CEO of Shaw Wallace Ceylo Ltd. and Richlife Dairies Ltd.; Vice President Binesh Pananwala, CEO of Watawala Dairies Ltd. and Watawala Plantation PLC; and Committee members Asoka Bandara from Maliban Milk Products Ltd.; R.M.K.G. Rajapaksha from Hypromac Engineering Services; Dr. Nelum Vithana from Kotmale Holdings PLC; Keerthi Gunasekara from Cargills Quality Dairies Ltd.; Shun Tien Shing from Ceylon Agro Industries Ltd.; Dr. Shakthivale from Lanka Milk Foods Ltd.; Dr. Keerthi Gunasekara from Ronasco Ltd.; AIDA Consultant Chithral Munaweera; and Shehara de Silva from Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

In a bid to initiate a National Policy for the dairy sector, the delegation proposed formulating a public-private stakeholder committee. As such the delegation explained the gaps identified in the sector with regard to the lack of animal feed and nutrients and the need to develop fodder cultivation in the country. 

Although the President has set a national goal of self-sufficiency in milk production, there are other elements of Government policy and organisation that obstruct growth and sustainability. 

Restrictions on land and water utilisation for forage crops is seen as a serious limiting factor to meet the nutritional demands of the dairy cows to increase the quantity and quality of milk production. Therefore, support is required through a policy for the industry that includes animal feed crops as approved crops and permits access to land and irrigation for these crops. During the discussion, the AIDA President Jayasooriya handed over the proposal on fodder crop cultivation in Sri Lanka to the Minister. The Minister expressed his views on uplifting the dairy sector, and said it should be accelerated by public and private sector collaboration.

AIDA President highlighted that there is general consensus on the problems of high-quality fodder production and on the solutions, but there is little coordination to implement these solutions. In order to mitigate the challenges in improving the availability of animal feed in the country, a holistic approach is required, he concluded. 

The AIDA was formed under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, fulfilling a long-felt need for an organised trade body to facilitate deliberations on matters relevant to the dairy sector in February 2017. It was incorporated in May 2018 as a Company Limited by Guarantee registered under the provisions of the Companies Act No.7 of 2007.

The prime objective of AIDA is to serve as the central forum for consensus building amongst all key stakeholders in the industry and facilitate policy advocacy on issues pertaining to the dairy industry and work towards developing the local dairy industry as a key sector of the national economy. Promotion of high standards of business conduct in relation to all aspects of the dairy industry and improving the competitiveness of the local dairy industry in the marketplace are two specific objectives of the Dairy Association.