With an aim to reduce Sri Lanka’s dependence on imported milk products, India on Monday announced that it will provide assistance to the country’s dairy industry and increase milk production.
In a statement, Sri Lanka’s President Media Division said that officials of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) Amul Brand, has taken steps to provide the necessary technical support for the production of milk in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed a panel consisting of public and private players to work in consultation with the multi-disciplinary team of NDDB and prepare long and short term plans to increase Sri Lanka’s milk production and reduce it is of. Dependence on import of milk
“During Monday’s meeting, plans to double local milk production by implementing short and medium term plans and to make Sri Lanka self-sufficient in milk in the long term through a targeted program were discussed,” the statement said. “
additional secretary of the ministry agricultureDr. Nimal Samaranayake, Chairman, National Dairy Development Board, Prof. HW Cyril and other committee members and officials from Ministry of Agriculture and line agencies, National Dairy Development Board of India Senior General Manager Rajesh Omkarnath Gupta, General Manager Sunil Shivprasad Sinha, Senior Manager Rajesh Kumar Sharma and other representatives participated in the discussion.”
The move comes at a time when the food security situation in Sri Lanka is also being questioned as malnutrition has increased in the country, especially among children.
According to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), more than 56,000 children in Sri Lanka currently suffer from acute malnutrition. The organization said that according to its data, 32% of households in Sri Lanka are currently food insecure and 68% of households are changing their food preference or choosing smaller portions of food.
The economic situation in the country that called for violent protests has improved compared to the early months of the year, but citizens are still grappling with a shortage of basic products.
With inputs from PTI
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