SL aims to double local dairy output with U.S. assistance
Sri Lanka aims to double its dairy production by enhancing the small and medium dairy farmers’ productivity and competitiveness through a US $14.1 million project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Addressing the launch event of ‘Market-oriented Dairy Project’ in Colombo, yesterday, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was the chief guest at the event, said the current daily average milk yield, which is around 5 litres, is expected to be doubled through the project and the government targets to further increase the milk production fourfold in the future.
“There is a disparity of yield between large-scale farmers and small and medium scale farmers. Large scale farmers’ yield is above 4 litres while the small and medium level farmers’ yield is below 4 litres in some instances”
The project, funded by USDA, is facilitated by the government of Sri Lanka and it is implemented by the U.S. based International Executive Service Corps (IESC).
The project targets an average annual growth of 18 percent in milk production from 15,000 small and medium-scale dairy farmers and approximately 80 percent of the beneficiary farmers are expected to receive a quality-based price premium for their milk.
“We expect to provide necessary funds and assistance to small and medium scale dairy farmers to increase their production” Wickremesinghe said.