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Streamline dairy production, says Minister

BY UDITHA Kumarasinghe

ORGANISATION and planning is more essential when attempts are being made to increase dairy production. Therefore, the Ministry commenced this dairy farmer village project. Under this program, the Ministry opened 50 dairy farmer villages throughout the country last year.

The Ministry has made arrangements to establish 200 dairy farmer villages during this year. The Government has reserved financial allocations for this, he said at the opening of a new milk sales outlet at the National Hospital premises yesterday.

The National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) opened the new milk sales outlet at the National Hospital premises yesterday under the national program formulated by the Agriculture and Livestock Ministry to establish milk sales outlets countrywide to popularise fresh milk consumption among public.

On the invitation of Minister Dissanayake, the milk sales outlet set up by the Ministry at the National Hospital was opened by Health Care and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

The opening of the milk outlet at the hospital premises has provided the opportunity to obtain fresh milk to hospital staff and the public who visit the hospital daily at concessionary rates. Following the public response, the NLDB hopes to sell other milk products such as yoghurt and curd at this milk outlet in the future.

Steps should be taken to streamline dairy production. In addition, proper advantage should be taken from cattle herds. Otherwise the county's dairy production cannot be increased, Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.

Meanwhile, the NLDB has planned to provide 350 to 450 high quality milch cows to dairy farmers every three months. The Ministry has recruited 250 new veterinary surgeons to fill the shortage of veterinary surgeons to provide an efficient veterinary service to dairy farmers, the Minister said.

Dissanayake said the Ministry has formulated a six-year national plan to develop the country's livestock sector.

This plan's intention is to produce nearly 50 per cent of the country's dairy output locally within the next six years. Steps will also be taken to guide the public to consume fresh milk.

Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said the Government introduced a series of broadbased economic policies to the public.

"At present many are asking on ways of implementing these economic policies. Therefore this milk sales outlet project is a good example", he said.

He said the people who earlier came to the National Hospital consumed soft drinks.

The NLDB has now provided them the opportunity to consume a glass of fresh milk. This can be introduced as an initiative taken to preserve our indigenous habits and also as a step move towards a national economy.

The Government is steering the economy towards a national economy by breaking the shackles of multinational companies. However this is not easy. But the Government on behalf of the country and people is ready to face any challenge, the Minister said.