Move to boost local milk production

by L.S. Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

Milk farmers should be given incentives such as higher prices for liquid milk, said Livestock Development Ministry Secretary A.H. Gamage. The purchase price of a litre of liquid milk was increased to Rs. 50, an increase of Rs. 15 last week the Secretary said.

Sri Lanka has targeted to produce 50 percent of the country's milk requirement by 2015.

The recent floods had caused severe damage to the milk industry destroying the livestock, specially in the Eastern and Uva provinces.

The Secretary said that the habit of drinking liquid milk should be encouraged. The country spent around Rs. 3.9 billion annually for import of milk powder products, he said.A spokesman for the Cooperative Development Department said that a special program was launched to upgrade the milk producing Cooperative Societies. The best way to improve the milk industry is to organise and educate the milk farmers on the latest innovations. Milco and Nestle companies - the two leading local companies purchase liquid milk mainly from milk producers cooperative societies, he said.