‘World Milk Day’ 2015

Message from Ms. Beth Crawford FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and Maldives on

Milk is an i mportant part of healthy and a balanced diet and ‘World Milk Day’ provides the perfect opportunity to spread the word. The Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations designates 1st June annually as ‘World Milk Day’.

An intergovernmental organization with some 194 Member Nations, achieving food security for all is at the heart of FAO’s efforts – to make sure people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.

Milk is high in protein, which contributes to the growth and maintenance of muscle mass. Milk is also an excellent source of calcium, which is needed for the growth and development of bone in children and for the maintenance of bone, and it provides other important nutrients for the body.

Demand for dairy products in the Asia region has more than tripled since 1980, which means that in many countries in Asia production lags behind demand.

Around 80 percent of milk in Asia is produced by smallholder farmers. The smallholder dairy sector produces multiple benefits including income generation for small producers, off- farm job creation especially for women, low energy use compared with industrialized dairy production, and improved household food security and nutrition.

FAO i n Sri Lanka works with the Government to help increase milk production to bring it in line with demand. In recent years, FAO through its Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) provided technical and financial assistance to improve the dairy sector. A TCP project focused on the genetic improvement of cattle and buffalo through interventions including establishment of a Pedigree and Performance Recording Scheme (PPRS) and i mproving on-farm productivity through training field staff of the Department of Animal Production and Health in performance recording and genetic improvement. Another TCP project promotes appropriate feeding techniques to improve productivity in dairy cattle and to make it an economically profitable venture.

Through other donor-funded projects, including projects supported by the European Union and the Government of Canada, FAO puts its knowledge into practice working with smallholder farmers and livestock officers to promote sustainable dairy production and businesses.

We wish you a wonderful World Milk Day.

MS. BETH CRAWFORD FAO REPRESENTATIVE FOR SRI LANKAAND MALDIVES