Nineteen dairy farmers from across Sri Lanka have been selected to take part in a specialised training programme in India aimed at boosting local milk production, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation said.
The farmers met Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne at the ministry on Friday (07) ahead of their departure to India on August 16.
The programme is fully funded by the Indian government following a request made by the Office of the Prime Minister of India. Farmers were selected to ensure representation from across the island and from all political parties represented in Parliament.
The training will be conducted at the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Anand, Gujarat, and will also give participants the opportunity to observe the operations of Amul (GCMMF), one of the world’s leading dairy cooperatives.
The programme will focus on increasing milk production through technology, dairy farm management, value chain development, government support mechanisms and livestock nutrition.
The ministry said India has also agreed to extend the same training opportunity to several other groups of Sri Lankan dairy farmers under the programme’s next phase, expanding the number of beneficiaries.
