Asoka Kuruppu, Nestlé Agricultural Services Manager; Dr. T. Prabakaran, Veterinary Surgeon of Kopai; Mr. Nagalingam Vethanayahan, Government Agent of Jaffna; Rohit Mittal, Nestlé Vice President -  Technical and Bandula Egodage, Nestlé Assistant Vice President – Corporate Affairs and Communications opening the new milk chilling centre in Urumpirai

In its efforts to help Sri Lanka reach self-sufficiency in dairy, Nestlé Lanka marked a new milestone in its local dairy development initiatives by opening another new milk chilling centre in Jaffna, in the presence of Mr. Nagalingam Vethanayahan, Government Agent of Jaffna and Nestlé officials.

The new milk chilling centre in Urumpirai, will enable the farmers in the area to preserve the quality and freshness of their milk, collecting only the excessamount after meeting the needs of the farming families.Thenew facility will be equipped with high quality testing equipment and farmers will be paid for the quality of milk they provide – the higher the quality, the higher the price they will receive. This will encourage them to produce more milk of better quality. 

Mr. Nagalingam Vethanayahan, Government Agent of Jaffna and Nestlé officials pouring milk from the first milk can

Nestlé is Sri Lanka’s largest private sector collector of fresh milk, procuring milk from close to 20,000 dairy farmers daily, to manufacture its products like Nespray, Milo and Milkmaid. 

The company has played an active role in developing the local dairy sector since the early 1980’s, working closely with the local government and farmers over the years to help increase local fresh milk production and help the country become self-sufficient in fresh milk.  

 “Over the years, we have made intense and determined efforts to procure maximum quantities of fresh milk from the North to help develop the area.” Said Shivani Hegde, Managing Director for Nestlé.“We remain committed to sourcing fresh milk locally andwill continue to provide local consumers with high quality dairy based products, enhancing the quality of life and contributing to a healthier future. With the opening of this new milk chilling centre in Urumpirai, we hope to not only increase the supply and quality of milk of our famers in the North but also provide them a livelihood that is sustainable.”

Mr. Nagalingam Vethanayahan, Government Agent of Jaffna presenting a milk can to a Nestlé dairy farmer in Urumpirai. Looking on are Bandula Egodage, Nestlé Assistant Vice President – Corporate Affairs and Communications; Rohit Mittal, Nestlé Vice President - Technical and Asoka Kuruppu, Nestlé Agricultural Services Manager
 

Nestlé also conducts extensive farmer training and development programmes; sharing technical expertise and best practices oncattle feeding and breeding, animal health and farm management andquality assurance.In addition to promoting artificial insemination for breeding high-yield cows, it also provides vital equipment and medicine, and financial assistance to develop dairy farms.

Said Mr. Nagalingam Vethanayahan“I want to offer my sincere thanks to Nestlé for the commendable work carried out to develop the dairy industry in the Northern region and thereby positively impacting the livelihoods of our farmers. They have continuously worked towards the development of our farmers through training and development initiatives and technical assistance. Iwish the company all the very best in their endeavours and request the local farming community in Urumpiraito make maximum usage of this new milk chilling centre in providing the nation with fresh, locally sourced milk for consumption.”

A Nestlé dairy farmer in Urumpirai