French firm Boccard to develop dairy farming and processing in SL

Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry has signed a contract agreement with French company Boccard to develop dairy farming and processing in the presence of the Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives Eric Lavertu. 
The programme includes the complete modernization of six mini dairy processing plants managed by six dairy entities that are served by more than thirty local milk collection centres across 
Sri Lanka.

The funding of 13.9 million euros (approx. Rs.2, 514 million) is facilitated by a soft loan from the French government and monitored locally by the French Embassy in Sri Lanka & Maldives. The pre-selected six mini dairy entities, located in Kaduwela, Attanagalla, Wariyapola, Polonnaruwa, Wennapuwa, and Batticaloa, will reach a global capacity of 4,500 liters per day thanks to state-of-the-art and computerized monitoring equipment installed by Boccard, a well reputed dairy technology company in France.

Boccard is a French family-owned business with over 100 years of experience as a turnkey integrator. With 3,500 employees across 35 countries, it is recognized as a leader in customized process solutions for the dairy, food and Ingredients industries. 

The company’s expertise spans from design and engineering, to manufacturing and installation, and through commissioning and after sales services. The expert teams design/build comprehensive and customized process solutions for advanced equipment from standalone skids, tanks and vessels, to entire turnkey facilities. 
The company benefits from extensive, worldwide experience and references in the design and modernization of food & Ingredients plants, especially for fresh dairy products, with key players and local producers. It is expected to distribute homogenized, pasteurized and sterilized milk produced in those local areas will be packed into 180 ml pouches and 500 ml bottles and distributed to children attending schools in the neighboring areas.

Boccard’s dairy processing experts will provide a turnkey solution to support milk collection, processing, and packaging, as well as a dedicated farmers’ training programme.  The government aims to achieve self-sufficiency in dairy production by 2020 through this initiative. 

The programme also works to stabilize and increase the local shareholders incomes, helps sustain rural employment, and improves the nutritional level of the rural population.