'Fresh milk consumption vital for schoolchildren'

President Mahinda Rajapaksa emphasised the importance and significance of popularising the consumption of fresh milk among schoolchildren and called upon officials to pay attention towards this factor in earnest.

Livestock, Rural and Community Development Minister Arumugam Thondaman presenting the Milco Company’s newly introduced pure, liquid Highland milk packets to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday. Ministry Secretary H M T Kedaragama and senior ministry officials were present on the occasion. Picture by Chandana Perera

The President expressed these sentiments at a ceremony held at Temple Trees yesterday morning to mark the introduction of packeted fresh milk by MILCO (Pvt) Ltd.

'The popularising of the consumption of fresh milk would not only help increase local milk production but also help the country to save a sizeable amount of foreign exchange needed for milk food imports.

MILCO chairman Sunil Wickramasinghe said MILCO has introduced packeted (sachets) of fresh milk in vanilla and chocolate flavour for small children and 450 ml and 900 ml packets of milk for family use under the Highland brand name.

'The speciality of this brand of packeted milk is that it is free of additives or preservatives.

'Although the normal price of a litre of fresh milk in the open market is Rs 150, a 900 ml pack of Highland fresh milk is only Rs 100.

'This is part of MILCO contribution to take forward the Mahinda Chintana policy of making the country self-sufficient in milk while protecting the indigenous resources.

Livestock and Rural Community Development Minister Arumugam Thondaman, Ministry Secretary K M T Kendaragama and other senior ministry officials were also present on the occasion.