The third Annual General Meeting of the All Island Dairy Association (AIDA) was held recently on a virtual platform. 
Affiliated to the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the AIDA serves as the central representative for the dairy industry, facilitating consensus, streamlining objectives and industry mobilisation as well as lobbying with policymakers on key issues. 

Comprising the entire spectrum of dairy manufacturers and service providers, the AIDA promotes adherence to high industry standards as well as facilitating healthy competition in order to enhance product and service offerings and benefit the industry as a whole. 

Many initiatives undertaken by the association during the past year include conducting a broad spectrum of policy-related and knowledge transfer activities as well as facilitating broader engagement with the formal private sector and maintaining a policy dialogue on industry-relevant issues. These include events jointly undertaken with the Royal Netherlands Embassy, Market-Oriented Dairy Project, including workshops on sustainable feed and waste management in the dairy sector and the commemoration of World Milk Day 2021 at a webinar, which celebrated the Sri Lankan dairy sector’s contribution to the national economy as well as development initiatives and vision for the future. 

Newly-appointed office bearers for the year 2022 are Binesh Pananwala, Watawala Dairy Ltd – President, Dr. Shakthivale, Lanka Dairies (Pvt.) Ltd – Vice president, Producers and Collectors, Tan Beng Chuan, Ceylon Agro Industries Limited – Vice President, Service Providers, Chairperson of Milco (Pvt.) Ltd – Vice President, Manufacturers and Processors, RMKG Rajapaksha, Hypromac Engineering Services – Treasurer. Newly-appointed Executive Committee for the year 2022: Nishantha Jayasooriya, Dr. Nelum Vithana, Mohamed Imtiyaz, Damitha Mapa, Aruna Warnasooriya and A.C.H. Munaweera.