The ‘Milco Dairy Farmer Pride’ (Milco Kiri Govi Abhiman) program, aimed at building a prosperous nation self-sufficient in milk, was held yesterday (02) at Temple Trees, presided over by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya. The event featured the distribution of bonuses to dairy farmers supplying milk to Milco and the recognition of Milco’s field officers for their service.
Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, K.D. Lalkantha, addressing the gathering, stated:
“There is no dairy industry without the dairy farmer; they are the most vital factor. However, the industry faces severe challenges such as lack of grazing lands, water scarcity, and health issues. We can no longer sustain this industry by letting large herds roam free to find grass. We cannot simply provide more grazing land as requested; it is a significant issue. That is why we need a new technological era in the dairy industry.”
“Milco Kiri Govi Abhiman”
The Minister highlighted several systemic hurdles: A serious shortage of animal feed (maize and grass) and inadequate water supply, Issues like Foot-and-Mouth disease pose a challenge, while new recruitments were made recently, many officers leave for foreign jobs due to inadequate salaries and lack of facilities like vehicles.
Policy Shift and Modernization Minister Lalkantha further noted that Milco was originally slated to be sold to India, but the government negotiated to retain it. “I thank India for accepting our policy and agreeing to this. Milco has now become an institution where farmers hold a stake,” he said. He emphasized that since land for maize is limited (currently only 50% of the requirement is produced locally), the country must move toward a “Dairy Hub” model—using technology to get higher milk yields from fewer animals.
Future Targets Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Namal Karunaratne, also spoke, noting the financial turnaround of the institution:
“Milco was an institution nearly sold for a very low price while owing massive debts to farmers. Today, it has become a profit-making entity. Our target for 2030 is to increase daily milk production to 3 million litres.”
The event was attended by a large number of honoured distinguished guests, dairy farmers and several key officials, including:Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister (Special Guest),Wasantha Samarasinghe, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development,D.P. Wickramasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation, Susantha Kumara Navaratne, Anuradhapura District MP and Hemajeeva Gothabaya, Chairman of Milco
