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“Sri Lanka to export milk powder to China next year “

Published

1 year ago

April 2, 2023

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Sri Lanka will achieve self-sufficiency in milk powder next year and create history by launching exports to China, said Chairman Pelwatte Dairy Industries (Pvt) Ltd, Ariyaseela Wickramanayake.

He told Sunday Observer Business that Sri Lanka’s milk powder imports have reduced drastically while local production has increased.

The quantity of milk powder imported in 2019 was 99 million kg, compared to 96 million kg in 2020. The quantity of milk powder imports in 2018 was 98 million kg, marking a drop of five million kg between 2018 and 2019, and a further two million kg drop between 2019 and 2020. The average milk powder import bill is around USD 400 million.

Last year only 12 million kilos were imported which saved around USD 350 million for the country. “This amount has further decreased up to now,” he said.

Wickramanayake, also said that successive governments have to be praised for encouraging more dairy farmers to get involved in the industry by increasing the price of a litre of fresh milk. “This happened four times soon after elections and the prices went up from Rs. 30 in 2005 where the country had around 200 million litres of fresh milk to Rs. 50 per litre and production increased to 250 million litres in 2010.

After the 2015 election the price per litre of liquid milk increased to Rs. 75 and local production increased to 350 million litres and today the total local fresh milk production is around 600 million litres and it is increasing. The farmer gets around Rs. 225 per litre of fresh milk. “Soon Sri Lanka will have a surplus and this is where we will look at exports.”

He said that recently the milk produced by local farmers was in excess of demand and some protested by throwing them on the streets.

“This is the time Pelwatte Dairy Industries stepped in and upped our production capacity and started collecting 150,000 litres of milk per day which was a colossal achievement and a great victory for the daily sector in Sri Lanka.” He said that they are investing around Rs. 1.5 billion and building a factory in Kurunegala and this would be ready by August. This factory will concentrate only on exports.

“When the factory is completed we will increase our local fresh milk intake to 300, 000 litres and then by early next year we will start powdered milk exports to China reversing the trends where Sri Lanka spent huge amounts of money for milk powder imports,” he said.

The company also created another major landmark when a consignment of Pelwatte Ceylon Butter was exported to the Maldives on Friday. “Next we will be exporting Pelwatte Ceylon butter to Japan.”

News

Fire breaks out in workers’ living quarters near Colombo Port

Published

8 hours ago

May 19, 2024

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A fire has reportedly broken out in the living quarters of highway access road workers near the Colombo Port.

The Colombo Fire Brigade said it has dispatched four fire trucks to assist in extinguishing the flames.

News

President Wickremesinghe meets Elon Musk to discuss starlink implementation in Sri Lanka

Published

8 hours ago

May 19, 2024

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe has met with billionaire and investor Elon Musk on the sidelines of the 10th World Water Forum High-Level Meeting being held in Indonesia.

During the meeting, Wickremesinghe and Musk discussed the implementation of ‘Starlink’ in Sri Lanka.

It was emphasized that Sri Lanka is committed to expediting the application process to connect the country to the global Starlink network, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD).

Minister Jeevan Thondaman, accompanying the President on his two-day visit to Indonesia, tweeted: “President and Elon discussed Sri Lanka’s recovery, economic potential, and new opportunities for investment. Great to have two visionary leaders come together for Sri Lanka.”

Elon Musk arrived in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on Sunday to launch Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation.

The billionaire head of Tesla and SpaceX, and owner of social platform X, arrived by private jet on the idyllic “island of the gods,” renowned for its tropical beaches, terraced rice paddies, mystical temples, and colorful spiritual offerings.

Musk is slated to launch the service alongside Indonesian President Joko Widodo in a ceremony later Sunday at a public health clinic in Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali.

Musk will also sign an agreement to enhance connectivity in the country’s health and education sectors.

During his first in-person visit to Bali, Musk is also scheduled to participate in the 10th World Water Forum, which seeks to address global water and sanitation challenges.

–With agencies inputs

News

Senior diplomat to oversee Sri Lankan embassy in Russia

Published

18 hours ago

May 19, 2024

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It is reported that the government has planned to send a senior officer of the foreign service to the Sri Lankan embassy in Russia until a new ambassador is appointed due to the lack of an ambassador.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Taraka Balasuriya has told the media that the absence of an ambassador is just a gap in the work procedure, and based on the current situation in Russia, a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be directed to supervise its affairs.

He emphasized that a retired foreign service senior is being sent and the lack of an ambassador is not a major problem.

The Minister further stated that there is already a senior Foreign Service officer there, and given the urgent need, a very senior Foreign Service officer is being sent not because the officer currently in Russia is inadequate.

Mr. Balasuriya has stressed that this is being done to strengthen the operation and that the work will be done according to the normal protocol.

However, even though an ambassador has been appointed to Russia, Mr. Balasuriya has made arrangements not to reveal who it is to the media.

The former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation, Prof. Janitha A. Liyanage, was given three extensions, and she ended her service at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Moscow on April 29.

At present, Counsellor Ruvini K. Munidasa serves as the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy.