Three homegrown entrepreneurs decry imported milk powder menace

Tuesday, 13 August 2013 01:16 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Wegapitiya, Kumarasinghe and Jayaweera say SL spends Rs. 60 billion on milk powder
Only Lanka uses this quantity of imported milk powder worldwide
Call for greater local produce and alternative milk sources to save precious foreign exchange

Three self-made entrepreneurs yesterday banded themselves against what they called the ‘import milk powder menace’ and called for people to demand for locally made liquid milk They also challenged multinational companies to reveal any other country that consumes the milk by-product in the same quantities as Sri Lanka.

Addressing the media at the historic Independence Square to symbolise the need for Sri Lankans to achieve economic freedom, business leaders Samantha Kumarasinghe of Natures Secret, W. K.H. Wegapitiya of Laugfs fame and communication specialist-turned investor Dilith Jayaweera said that the use of milk powder was costing Sri Lanka Rs. 60 billion annually. Even manufacturing countries like New Zealand consume fresh milk while the by-product is sold in Sri Lanka at a premium, they said. “The usage of milk powder in excess quantities has become a major problem not only economically but in every aspect. We get nothing. We get white powder that can be mixed with water. We challenge any multinational company to show except Sri Lanka which other country is consuming milk powder the way it is consumed here. Even in New Zealand where this product is manufactured, it is fresh milk that is consumed,” the trio emphasised. They said it was not about whether the milk powder was contaminated with chemicals like DCD or not. According to Jayaweera, the milk powder issue has been a major problem in Sri Lanka for the last 40 years. “This is not the problem. We selected this as a time to take this message to the people of Sri Lanka. We are paying hard earned money to consume this white powder,” they pointed out. They said this was money that could be used for something more useful. “But it is clear now that this powdered milk use instead of liquid milk has made us a totally vulnerable people. No matter what multi-national companies say, we cannot keep allowing such a large amount of money to flow out of the country. Instead of powdered milk either liquid milk or other alternative sources have to be found to supplement our nutritional needs,” the trio said.