World Milk Day fell on Thursday, June 1. First held in 2001 as an initiative of the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), this day is celebrated internationally and an opportunity to focus attention on this global food – milk, and ‘raise a glass to celebrate the benefits of milk for our lives.’
This year’s celebrations revolved around the themes of ‘Good food, health and nutrition, Farmers’ caring responsibility for their communities, the land, and their animals and how dairy contributes to economic development and livelihoods.
“If Sri Lanka was self-sufficient in milk once upon a time, then this can be done again. It is simply a matter of concentrating on what we have and channelling funds used for imports to uplift our own farmers and industries,” said Pelwatte Dairy’s Managing Director, Akmal Wickramanayake.
“As we celebrate World Milk Day, this is what Pelwatte aspires to do as we deliver Sri Lankans the highest quality dairy products while conserving valuable foreign exchange currently spent on imported dairy products,” he said. In an industry dominated by foreign brands and foreign importers, Pelwatte Dairy Industries is one of the first private sector firm to invest in a milk production plant and promotes self-sufficiency in milk for Sri Lanka.
The company stands out as a manufacturer of dairy products that are fully produced locally. In imported products, the components and supply chain is unknown.
However, Pelwatte ensures that 100 percent of the milk used is locally sourced and is 100 percent organic without any added preservatives to increase shelf-life.