Nestlé Lanka celebrates highest milk intake in history

• Collects record high of over 5 million litres of milk from 18,000 local farmers in September; to contribute Rs. 2.6 b to rural economy in 2012

Nestlé Lanka, Sri Lanka’s largest private sector collector of fresh milk, is celebrating its highest-ever milk intake of over five million litres from 18,000 Sri Lankan dairy farmers in the month of September.

Further, the company also expects to contribute over Rs. 2.6 billion to the rural economy this year.

Widely hailed across Sri Lanka as ‘the local multinational,’ 2012 has seen the company accelerate its investments in the rural community, particularly in the dairy sector.  

“We are most proud to celebrate a significant milestone in Nestlé Lanka’s history – procuring over five million litres of milk from 18,000 local dairy farmers. This is the highest-ever yet! Developing and contributing to Sri Lanka’s rural economy has always been close to Nestlé’s heart, because the overall wellbeing of our farmers and the rural communities is intrinsic for the long-term success of our business. More than ever, as strong advocates of sustainable business and ‘Creating Shared Value,’ we are proud that we have been able to prove that it’s possible to do well by doing good,” Nestle Lanka Managing Director Alois Hofbauer said.

Nestlé has been a pioneering force in uplifting livelihoods across rural communities in Sri Lanka by creating sustainable, mutually beneficial business relationships with its farmers and suppliers.  

R.M. Nalaka Bandara, a dairy farmer in Kuliyapitiya speaking of his partnership with Nestlé, said: “My journey with the company began in 2009 with a modest supply of five litres per day.





Nestlé Lanka...

I was then able to increase my supply of milk up to 35-40 litres per day with the purchase of more cows. The unwavering support extended to me by the Nestlé Agri-services team, who visited my farm regularly to offer me technical advice and prompt payment from Nestlé for my milk supply, helped me vastly to establish my faith in a positive future for dairy farming in Sri Lanka. With the support of the company, my goal is to increase my supply of fresh milk up to 100 litres by the end of 2015 and further strengthen my dairy farm.”

Yet another Nestlé dairy farmer, Samararathna, also shares his experience: “In 2005, I began to supply Nestlé with fresh milk, with only one cow. With the steady support and guidance provided by the company, I was able to gain the training and resources I needed to further expand my operations. In 2007, I was then able to increase my supply of milk to 15 litres per day. Frequent visits from Nestlé’s Agri-services team helped strengthen my technical knowledge while I also received financial assistance via Nestlé’s microfinance plan, enabling me to establish my dairy farm. Nestlé additionally facilitated a cattle insurance scheme to secure my livestock and provided a consistent supply of cattle feed and veterinary drugs at a concessionary rate. As a result, I’m now proud to say that I’m able to supply up to 100 litres of fresh milk per day!”

Today both Bandara and Samararathne are proud owners of their very own successful dairy farms, with the ability to provide fresh supplies of milk on a daily basis to Nestlé’s state-of-the-art factory in Kurunegala.

Nestlé has been engaged with the Sri Lankan dairy sector since the early 1980s, assisting local dairy farmers to increase the quantity and quality of their yield. Many of Nestlé’s popular dairy based products available in the market today, such as Nespray, Milo, Milkmaid, and Nestomalt, are made from local fresh milk.