Boost for dairy industry

by L.S. Ananda Wedarachchi

Over fifty percent of the country's demand for milk would be fulfilled locally by 2015, Deputy Livestock Development Minister H.R. Mithrapala said.

He said the Central Bank had allocated Rs. 5 billion under the Agro-Livestock Development loan scheme to be disbursed as loans to uplift milk production.

Banks should facilitate the grant of loans to dairy farmers in simplifying loan conditions, especially for small and medium scale dairy farmers and farmer organisations. So far, Rs. 1.5 billion of the five billion rupee agro-livestock development loan scheme has been disbursed, he said.The farmers must use these funds to improve the industry to help achieve self-sufficiency in milk, the Deputy Minister said.

A scheme to provide high-bred cows to dairy farmers has been launched. Over 2,000 of these cows had been imported under this scheme, he said.