Nestlé Lanka, Sri Lanka’s largest private sector collector of fresh milk, announced that it has increased its local fresh milk collection by over 45% (YoY) during the period January to April 2012.
With the local dairy industry registering a big increase in milk production across the country, Nestlé has grown its fresh milk collection accordingly during the first four months of 2012 to meet this considerable increase in supply.
“Our milk processing facility in Kurunegala is now running at its fullest capacity due to our increased intake of milk and we are continuing to purchase as much milk as we can to support our local dairy farmers. We will continue to operate at maximum capacity for fresh milk processing” said Mr. Alois Hofbauer, Managing Director of Nestlé Lanka PLC.
Nestlé operates on the concept of ‘Creating Shared Value’ (CSV), where it is strongly committed to mutually benefit the people of the communities it operates in. Identifying rural development as one of the core pillars of ‘Creating Shared Value’ for Nestlé and society, the company has played a leading role in the development of the dairy sector in Sri Lanka.
The company has been engaged in supporting the Sri Lankan dairy sector since the early 1980’s and has worked closely with the government and farmers over the years to promote good dairy farming practices such as cattle feeding and breeding, animal health and farm management. Nestle further assists farmers by providing vital equipment, medicine and subsidies.
The company has also established crucial infrastructures and networks such as milk chilling centres and milk collection points across the island to facilitate the procurement of local fresh milk.
In addition, Nestlé Lanka has made intense and determined efforts to procure as much fresh milk as possible from the North and East to help develop these areas in line with the Nagenahira Navodaya and Uthuru Wasanthaya programs. Notable mentions are the chilling centres opened by Nestlé in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mallavi and Oddusudan, which were the first ever to be established in those areas in 30 years.
Honoured for their immense contribution in developing the local dairy industry, the company was awarded a Swarna Lanka Award by Honourable Chamal Rajapaksa, Speaker of Parliament, on behalf of the Independent Mass Communicators Organisation in late 2010.
“The successful and sustainable development of the local dairy industry remains a key focus for us. We contributed over LKR 2 billion to the rural economy last year by way of milk purchases alone, and hope to continue to give back to the rural economy in the same way in 2012 as well.” stated Mr. Hofbauer.
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