Nestlé launches ‘Kiri Govi Diriya’

Friday, 30 September 2016 00:15 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

More than 3,000 farmers to receive training and development from Nestlé

In celebration of its 150th anniversary worldwide and 110 years locally, Nestlé has launched ‘Kiri Govi Diriya’, where 3,000 Sri Lankan dairy farmers will benefit from training and development tools to learn about modern technologies and best practices, and produce more milk of higher quality.

The dairy development program is the first of a number of public commitments Nestlé is making to the local community to commemorate its anniversaries. Launched at a special event in Anuradhapura together with the Minister of Rural Economic Affairs P. Harrison, ‘Kiri Govi Diriya’ commits to 150 training and development programs for 3,000 dairy farmers, and provides 150 of those farmers with essential milking equipment to help develop their business.

03-3 Minister of Rural Economic Affairs P. Harrison presenting milking equipment to a Nestlé dairy farmer while Nestlé Lanka Managing Director Shivani Hegde and Nestlé Assistant Vice-President, Corporate Affairs and Communications Bandula Egodage look on

“Developing Sri Lanka’s dairy industry has always been close to Nestlé’s heart. We want to reaffirm our commitment to our local dairy farmers this year because they have been such a big part of our journey in this country. These special commitments 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 our farmers’ quality of life,” says Nestlé Managing Director Shivani Hegde.

Because Sri Lanka’s dairy industry is still an emerging one, where local milk production does not meet total market demand, Nestlé has been working closely with the authorities since the early 1980s to help develop it. The company hopes to not only increase the supply and quality of milk but also provide local farmers a livelihood that is sustainable.

03-4 Nestlé Agricultural Services Manager Asoka Kuruppu presenting a model of a Nestlé Chilling Centre to Minister of Rural Economic Affairs P. Harrison while Nestlé Lanka Managing Director Shivani Hegde, Nestlé Assistant Vice-President, Corporate Affairs and Communications Bandula Egodage, Nestlé Vice-President, Technical Rohit Mittal and Nestlé Senior Dairy Extension Executive Shamara Dunusinghe look on

In addition to establishing crucial infrastructure like milk collection points and milk chilling centres, Nestlé holds training and development programmes for farmers on a range of technical topics and best practices, including cattle feeding and breeding, and animal health and farm management. It also provides financial assistance to develop dairy farms, promotes artificial insemination for breeding high-yield cows, and facilitates mobile veterinary clinics together with the Government.

03-5 Nestlé dairy farmers receiving a training on dairy farming by Professor C.M.B. Dematawewa from the University of Peradeniya

Nestlé is currently Sri Lanka’s largest private sector collector of fresh milk, offering consumers a range of products made with local fresh milk and providing almost 20,000 dairy farmers and their families a secure livelihood, helping rural communities to thrive and grow. Nestlé’s contribution to the local dairy industry in 2015 for procurement of fresh milk was Rs. 3.6 billion.