CB facilitates Rs 5 b in loans:

Milk production doubles in four years

Ravi LADDUWAHETTY

National milk production has doubled in four years from 19% of the national requirement in 2007 to 38% of the national requirement in 2010, according to statistics of the Livestock Development Ministry.

This increase has been according to the per capita consumption of milk between the two periods and a significant contribution has been made due to the promotion of dairy farming by the Central Bank, Assistant Governor (Regional Development) W. M. Karunaratne told Daily News Business yesterday.

He said that the target was to increase the milk production to 50% of the national requirement by 2013.

He said that the Central Bank has commenced a programme of allocating Rs. 5 billion for dairy development countrywide of which Rs 2 billion has been disbursed by the Bank of Ceylon, People’s Bank, Regional Development Banks, Hatton National Bank and Union Bank.

According to the loans that have been disbursed, each farmer could also go up to a maximum of Rs 400,000 and the Central Bank is also getting an interest subsidy from the Treasury which enables to provide subsidized loans which have been given in the three years 2008, 2009, 2010 which has also contributed to the boosting of the national milk production, he said.

The loans have been used for the cultivation of animal fodder, purchase of new animals, infrastructure such as cattle sheds, production of animal feed and related areas. There are the farmers who do not utilize up to the maximum level but take loans of Rs 60,000 to Rs 100,000 as well.

He said that there were twelve dairy resource centres for cows which were in Gampaha (3), Horana, Madampe, Melsiripura, Galewela, Kekirawa, Wellawa, Weliweriya, Hatton, and Girandurukotte. Arrangements were also underway to increase these centres to 50 soon, he said.

The programme also provides loans up to Rs. 300 million for big investors who want to add value to the natural milk.