Nestle is investing in a new chilling centre in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka, to take advantage of peace in the north to expand the dairy industry there, according to DairyReporter.com.
This will be followed by eight more cooling centres that will be opened before the end of this year .
Located in the northern province of the country, the centre is the first to be opened in the area in 30 years. “This area is a zone which was earlier not accessible for such development throughout the strife. Now that the North Eastern areas are conflict free, we are keen to develop these areas, especially with regard to the dairy industry, in line with the government’s vision to develop the North Eastern province,” a spokesperson for the company told DairyReporter.com.
This will be Nestle’s 107th chilling centre in Sri Lanka and will have a capacity of 1,600 litres and testing equipment. It will be serviced by milk collection points established by Nestlé Lanka in Kandawalai, Kilinochchi, Visuwuamadhu, Wattakachchi, Uruththirapuram and Iranamadu.
Nestle says that they have accelerated their development initiatives in the dairy industry over the last two years. “This is a part of our mission to develop and empower the local dairy industry and Create Shared Value. Three of these eight centres will be opened in the North Eastern District,” the company commented.
Nestle Sri Lanka said it will provide dairy farmers with training, development, support and assistance in their farming practices. The company says it will also offer aid and information on livestock health, breeding, milking, hygiene, sterile handling and storage.
The company is currently collecting milk from 100 farming families in the area but Nestle expects that the introduction of the new centre will soon increase this to 500 families.
Nestle Lanka is the country’s single largest private sector collector of fresh milk. The company acquires about 115,000 litres of milk every day from 13,000 local dairy farmers.