Ministry targets 70 percent milk production

The Livestock Development Ministry has initiated several programs under the National Livestock Policy to uplift the field of livestock and to increase fresh milk production. Artificial insemination and natural insemination will be introduced to increase the number of high-yielding milch cows.

The Government has increased the prices of milk three times, paving the fortune path for the dairy farmers. The advanced technology to preserve milk for three months without keeping in the deep-freezer will be introduced future.

About 32 percent of the milk requirements is produced in the country and the Livestock Development Ministry aims to increase to 70 percent by 2015.

The country imports 62,000 metric tons of milk food at a cost of more than Rs. 20 billion. By increasing the milk production the money draining out to foreign countries could be expended for the development of the country.

Ministry anticipates to achieve the target by increasing fresh milk production, protecting dairy farmers, providing well-nourished fresh milk for the consumption and encouraging for more consumption by educating them.