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| Sunday, 14 March 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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CQDL to popularise liquid milk in a big way : Shot in the arm for dairy farming by Hiran H.Senewiratne Cargills Quality Dairies (Pvt) Ltd (CQDL) will invest in a major dairy development project this year, to the tune of over Rs 1.5 billion, to popularise liquid milk in a big way. Initially, CQDL would establish and develop farmer associations in every selected village, with a potential for milk industry, said its Managing Director Dr Jagjit S. Punjrath. Under this programme, the company would train more than 20,000 milk farmer families in the country within the next five years.They would be trained at the company's expense on the best industry practices,he said.This project would comprise many phases, he said. "We are going for a radical change to reverse the mind-set of the people on artificial powdered milk", he said. The company's products varies from ice cream to yoghurt flavoured milk etc , which are marketed under the "Magic" brand name." Dr Punjrath said that Sri Lanka had the potential to be self sufficient in milk if the country followed a proper policy. CQDL would establish chilling centres in identified villages to store products to promote and develop the industry. According to Dr Punjrath a state-of-the-art milk processing factory would be established before the end of the year.Currently CQDL had the best ice cream factory in Asia, which processed more than 9000 fresh litres per day. It was formerly owned by the Walls ice cream company. CQDL has plans to develop the local diary industry from grass roots level by promoting small farmers as in India, he said.CQDL directly deals with farmers without buying milk from the middleman, to pass on the benefit to them, he added. The company would make available the required number of cattle among farmer associations by importing from other countries since the country's cattle population was on decrease,he added. The cattles to be importered are suitable to the local climatic conditions in accordance to phytor sanitary requirements, he said. The company is looking at the possibility of venturing into Middle-Eastern and Singapore markets in the near future.At present their products are also available in the Maldives.CQDL is one of the subsidiary companies of Cargills Ceylon Ltd. |
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