Saturday, 31 August 2013 00:00
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The New Zealand Government has offered all assistance to make Sri Lanka self-sufficient in milk production by 2016. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa are expected to sign an agreement to this effect when Prime Minister Key visits Sri Lanka to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which will be held from 10-17 November.
This follows a discussion between the visiting New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa at the ministry office earlier this week. The New Zealand Government has acceded to a request Minister Rajapaksa made in this connection.
Under the program, the New Zealand Government will assist in promoting local milk production, motivating dairy farmers, breeding best breeds of dairy cows, establishing dairy farms and providing required technical help. A program will also be launched to increase milk production at the Biyagama plant.
Earlier too, in 1965, the New Zealand Government had helped the country under the Colombo Plan to promote liquid milk and motivate local dairy farmers by assisting production in Ambewela and other dairy farms. Currently, the number of registered dairy farmers in Sri Lanka is 238,322 while there are nearly 100,000 unregistered small-time farmers.
At present, only 33% of Sri Lanka’s liquid milk requirements are produced locally. The balance 67% is imported. During the seven years (2005-2012) of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government, the country’s total milk production has increased by 107 million litres. It is a 56% increase. The number of dairy cows has increased by 150,000. Livestock experts believe that if milk can be obtained from 300,000 more cows, Sri Lanka can be made self-sufficient in milk. According to livestock production and health production reports, milk daily consumption per person is 135 millilitres.
Foreign Minister McCully further assured Minister Basil Rajapaksa that his government will also cooperate with the Sri Lankan health authorities to provide consumers with high quality imported milk powder.
New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry Deputy Secretary Andrea Joan Smith, New Zealand High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Averil Jan Henderson and Deputy High Commissioner Wendy Mathews were among the others who attended the discussions.
