President proposes multidisciplinary program to make SL self-sufficient in milk

President Maithripala Sirisena has given instructions to the relevant authorities to prepare a draft containing a multidisciplinary program to make Sri Lanka self-sufficient in liquid milk production by 2025 by strengthening the local dairy industry.

The President further instructed the officials to plan a targeted program to provide a glass of milk to all schoolchildren, expanding the existing program to children in 450 schools around the island. As the first step, students in the primary section of the schools will be provided with nutritious fresh milk.

He gave these instructions during a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday (6) regarding the development of the local dairy industry and consumption. The discussion was held in parallel to the Grama Shakthi entrepreneurship promotion program.

President Sirisena pointed out that the main policy and objective of the Government should be to reduce the quantity of imported milk powder through the strengthening of the local dairy industry. He explained the necessity of implementing a formal and expeditious program for the promotion of liquid milk production. The President said that this program would pave the way to increase the nutritional status of children in this country while eliminating malnutrition.

Moreover, President Sirisena advised to distribute liquid milk products without creating an excess of liquid milk products and to give an opportunity to offer a proper price to liquid milk farmers by increasing production.

The heads of private liquid milk producing companies also joined this discussion with the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and Ministry of Rural Economic Affairs while the President instructed these two ministries to conduct the program obtaining the contribution of the public sector.

The heads of companies which produce liquid milk in the private sector insisted that this program of President Sirisena was timely and important and that they were ready to offer their fullest support to it.

President Sirisena also advised to form a joint committee made up of officers of both the public and private sector and to make decisions through that in order to make this program a success.

The President instructed the relevant parties to pay attention to whether the resources used to produce ice cream and other milk products were in good condition and to find out if in any cheap ingredients of low quality were being used to produce milk products and to file a report on that and present it to the Cabinet.

Minister Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development and Rural Economic Affairs Vijith Vijayamuni Soysa, Ministry of Rural Economic Affairs Secretary D.K.R .Ekanayake, Coordinating Secretary to the President Shiral Lakthilaka and National Livestock Development Board Chairman K. Muthuvinayagam were among those present at the event.