Ambassador of
the United States, Alaina B. Teplitz recently met with dairy farmers benefiting
from an SLR 2.2 billion ($14.1 million) program called ' Market-Oriented Dairy.
' The project is estimated to increase milk production by 94 per cent by 2022
and will help make Sri Lankan dairy production more sustainable and profitable
– and the livelihood of thousands of dairy farmers.
"Farmers
are the main agricultural backbone of the economy of Sri Lanka, and this
project helps the country achieve its goal of self-sufficiency in dairy
production," said Ambassador Teplitz. The project, which supports more
than 15,000 Sri Lankan farmers, aims to increase the commercial sustainability,
quality, and safety of the dairy sector. Farmers trained in best practices,
such as providing animals with clean water 24/7 and improved feeding
techniques.
For example,
feeding better quality grasses that are cut to the right size and combined with
concentrate feed can increase milk yield by 2-3 litres per day per cow. Since
the project launched in May 2018, the participating farmers have produced
remarkable results. Since the following best practices, 70% increased milk
production and 68% improved milk quality.
The project
Market-Oriented Dairy is funded by the U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) Food
for Progress. USDA is working on the initiative with the International
Executive Service Corps, Florida University, Global Dairy Network, and
Sarvodaya.
OSL Take: Sri
Lankan authorities have paid much attention to the development of the country’s
dairy industry, thereby expanding the business/investment opportunities in the
industry. Many large scale local companies have also diversified into the dairy
industry due to the untapped business potential in the industry.
The increased
productivity and the strengthening of the manufacturing line would result in a
constant supply of dairy milk. Given Sri Lanka’s need to develop the country’s
dairy industry and become self-sustained in fresh dairy, foreign dairy
companies could look at opportunities to set up ventures through partnerships
with local companies to address the growing demand for new dairy products.
VBS/AT/20191118/Z_TB2
No comments:
Post a Comment