Sri Lanka and New Zealand farmers share dairy expertise

Sri Lankan dairy farmers recently met ten New Zealand farmers in Gampaha to share knowledge, exchange ideas and discuss the challenges that they face.

The New Zealand farmers visited Sri Lanka as part of their role as Fonterra Shareholders' Councillors - a group of farmers who represent the Co-operative's 10,500 farmer shareholders.

During a tour of Fonterra's state-of-the-art Milk Chilling Centre in Gampaha, the New Zealand farmers shared their expertise with 25 local dairy farmers and their families, using photos of their farms in New Zealand to visually explain ways to improve dairy management, fodder cultivation and on-farm production.Chairman of the Fonterra Shareholders' Council, Duncan Coull, said that Fonterra has operated in Sri Lanka for around 35 years and is committed to helping develop the Sri Lankan dairy industry.

"Our farmers have worked in the dairy industry for many generations, so there is a wealth of knowledge that we're able to share with Sri Lankan farmers to help them improve their dairy production here."This includes advice on how to improve milk quality, efficiency and animal welfare.

The interactive session enabled us to get a better understanding about the conditions of local dairy farms in Sri Lanka and the challenges they face," said Coull.The New Zealand farmers also visited the Doranagoda School, near Fonterra's Gampaha milk chilling centre, to present a water and sanitation facility built as part of the Fonterra Grass Roots Fund, which supports the farming communities of Sri Lanka.

"Supporting the development of the local industry and contribute to the wider community gives us immense pride as shareholders of Fonterra."The New Zealand dairy industry has been built on the foundation of cooperation, innovation and collaboration, and visits like these help bring it all to life in the countries where we operate," said Coull.