Milk production on a fresh stand:

Aim is frugality

Dharma Sri Abeyratne

The national milk production will receive a new boost while saving enormous sums spent on milk powder imports, National Livestock Development Board Deputy Chairman Lakshman Hulugalle said in an interview with the Daily News. Following are the excerpts of the interview.

Q: The National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) is the main Government Institution which stands for the livestock development sector in the country. What has NLDB planned to implement to increase the national milk production?

A: NLDB will double the daily fresh milk production within three months. The NLDB produces 9,000 litres of milk daily which equals to three percent of national daily milk consumption. The program has two phases as short term and long term initiatives. In line with short term milk production increasing program, daily milk production will increase to 15,000 litres within three months. Following discussions with Israel officials, Israel has expressed willingness to provide technology to Sri Lanka to double the daily milk production.

According to technology and methods available in Israel, a cow in Israel gives 40 litres of milk daily while a local cow gives eight to 10 litres per day. As there is a huge difference in production which has to be identified and solved. Israel will assist us to increase the eight to ten litre milk production to 18 to 20 litres per day using Israel methods and technology. According to them it is not an unachievable target.

Q: What are the long term objectives that have to be achieved by the NLDB to streamline the milk production in the country?.

A: Under the long term milk production increasing program, cows will be imported. Before importing cattle, climate, environment, available resources and other related factors will be duly considered. The NLDB theoretically and technically assists dairy farmers for issues related to dairy farming. The NLDB will encourage newcomers, especially youth who are interested in dairy farming.

They will be made aware that dairy farming can be developed as a profitable venture. As a result of discussions the NLDB had with several countries, some countries have consented to provide us free quality cattle. These cattle will be distributed free among people interested in entering dairy farming. After distributing the cattle, the NLDB will definitely monitor the cattle.

The NLDB will get the assistance of Security Forces to establish dairy farms in the North and the East. Hundreds of stray cattle in the North and the East will be entered into dairy farms which will be established in ideal places. It has been revealed that the owners of these stray cattle cannot be identified as most of them had left the area many years ago due to LTTE terrorism. These cattle are treated well in these farms managed by the NLDB.

As the final outcome, local milk production will increase and it will minimize the foreign exchange spent on importing milk powder.

Q: There is a scarcity of cattle in the the country that has become an obstacle to increase the milk production. Is that the main obstacle for increasing milk production?.

A: In a way it is correct and cattle scarcity affects the local milk production process. When importing, attention has to be drawn to identify the ideal varieties of cattle for Sri Lanka and from which country the cattle have to be imported. Attention has also to be drawn to breed local strains of cattle. Sri Lanka will have locally bred cattle which are suitable to the climate and other factors. Government owned farms can be utilized for dairy farming activities such as breeding.

Q: What are the new world trends in the dairy farming industry? In line with these trends what Sri Lanka’s position ?

A: The fresh milk production is increasing in the world context. Sri Lankan’s have to go with the tide as fresh milk is more nutritious. The National Livestock Development Board has introduced a one litre budget pack of fresh milk to induce more public to consume fresh milk. The budget pack with the brand name ‘Delite’ is available in 120 NLDB sales outlets now and it will be available in 200 Lak Sathosa outlets soon. Within a few days the budget pack will be available throughout the country.

The one litre pack is sold at Rs 99 while the other competitive brands are sold at around Rs 120. Even though no preservatives are added, the milk can be kept for six months without storing in a refrigerator.

However, once opened it has to be stored in a refrigerator. Milk in the pack is UHT (Ultra High Temperature processing) treated using state-of-art technology and packed in Tetra-pack package to preserve the wholesome goodness of milk with the highest quality and safety standards. Delite is a result of NLDB’s continuous effort to develop the local milk industry to serve the country and people better. The NLDB has initiated a program to issue a glass of fresh milk at Rs 20. The service will be available at NLDB sales outlets and authorized sales outlets soon. Considering the high demand for fresh milk, the NLDB will produce a small packet of fresh milk for individual use very soon.

Q: NLDB has considerable resources such as farms, sales outlets and distribution channels. Do you have planned to get the maximum out of these resources?

A: The NLDB has about 20 farms throughout the country. Bopaththalawa and Dayagama farms are being used mainly as dairy farms. NLDB will get the maximum contribution from these resources in near future through various projects. NLDB has several sales outlets in many parts of the country.

Many of these are profitable while a few are running at a loss. A survey is being carried out to identify the reason for the loss. Loss mitigatory measures will be taken soon. It will be followed by profit maximizing measures. Certain outlets will be relocated in suitable places as these outlets have not been established in proper places. Facilities in these sales outlets will be upgraded while establishing eye-catching outer appearance. As the final outcome NLDB has targeted to increase the national milk production to 40 percent. The people will have a glass of nutritious fresh milk at a fair price.