(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) –The Ministry of Agriculture has taken steps to select 3000 dairy farmers next year and provide them with financial and material assistance as a step towards achieving the target of liquid milk production.
Under the guidance of the Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage, the Smallholder Agribusiness Partnerships Program (SAPP) implemented by Ministry of Agriculture plans to spend Rs. 1608 million for this project.
Accordingly, 1,181 dairy farmers in the Central Province, 513 in the North Western Province, 442 in the North Central Province, 816 in the Uva Province, 40 in the Ratnapura District and 8 in the Mullaitivu have been selected for this program.
Under this program, which is being implemented in collaboration with Milco (Pvt) Ltd., it is expected to increase the daily milk production of one dairy cow by two liters.
Meanwhile, 1,000 young dairy farmers will be selected and given loans of up to Rs. 500,000 according to their dairy farming project proposals.
Director of SAPP Dr. Yasantha Mapatuna said that the loan will be used to provide financial assistance to young dairy farmers who successfully manage their dairy farms to develop their businesses.
SAPP Director Dr. Yasantha Mapatuna and its officials and Milco Chairman Lasantha Wickramasinghe were also present at the recent discussion
