Nestlé Lanka opens UHT milk plant as commitment to develop Sri Lanka’s dairy industry; invests Rs. 5

Nestlé South Asia Region Head of Technical Aris Protonotarios, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka Chairman Upul Jayasuriya, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy and Nestlé Lanka Managing Director Shivani Hegde opening the new UHT milk plant

Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy unveiling the plaque while Nestlé Lanka Managing Director Shivani Hegde, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka Chairman Upul Jayasuriya and Nestlé Vice President – Technical Rohit Mittal look on

Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy and Board of Investment of Sri Lanka Chairman Upul Jayasuriya observing the RTD (Ready-to-Drink) production line of the new UHT milk plant while Nestlé Assistant Vice President – Corporate Affairs and Communications Bandula Egodage, Nestlé Lanka Managing Director Shivani Hegde and Nestlé South Asia Region Head of Technical Aris Protonotarios look on

 The Nestlé Lanka Kurunegala Factory 

Nestlé Lanka achieved another big milestone in the history of the company with the opening of a new UHT milk plant in its factory in Kurunegala. Continuing the investments the company has made in the country, it invested another Rs. 500 million this year on this new production facility, as a commitment to develop the local dairy industry.

The UHT milk plant was inaugurated by Chief Guest, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy and Guest of Honour Board of Investment of Sri Lanka Chairman Upul Jayasuriya. 

External debt is a real challenge the country faces today. Nestlé however, has greatly benefited the country by helping Sri Lanka earn and save its foreign-exchange reserves through the local manufacture of Nestlé’s strong brands. Nestlé is also a fine example of a company that has fully integrated itself into the domestic economy through its many initiatives to empower the lives of 20,000 local dairy farmers. I want to congratulate the company on this expansion; it is a great testament to the jobs they have created and their long term commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility,” said Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy.”

“We are currently preparing for an investment drive in Sri Lanka. I am happy to note that through their dairy development initiatives, Nestlé began their journey in investing in Sri Lanka’s future over thirty years ago, contributing significantly to the development of the country,” said Upul Jayasuriya. “Their new investment will further increase import substitution and exports in the country. I want to offer my thanks to Nestlé for giving me this opportunity to witness this reality and wish them all the success in their future investment plans.”

 “The new UHT milk plant we opened will positively impact the farmers we work with daily, strengthening our efforts to develop the local dairy industry, contribute to its prosperity, and ultimately, enhance the quality of life of the people of Sri Lanka,” said Nestlé Managing Director Shivani Hegde.

Nestlé’s factory in Kurunegala is home to its production facilities that manufacture, amongst others, its dairy based products. Through this new investment on a UHT milk plant, Nestlé plans to expand the company’s production capacity for its popular dairy based beverages, providing local consumers with more milk based products that cater to local tastes and nutritional needs. The new plant will manufacture RTD (Ready-To-Drink) products like Milo, Nespray Nutri-Up, Nescafé Ice and Nestomalt.

Nestlé has been operating in Sri Lanka for 110 years and prides itself on being a local multinational. The company focuses on manufacturing products locally, largely using local ingredients. Nestlé, which is Sri Lanka’s largest private sector collector of fresh milk, contributed Rs. 3.6 billion in 2015 to its dairy farmers as payment for fresh milk, to manufacture its products like Nespray, Milo and Milkmaid.