Sri Lanka imports approximately 70 percent of its dairy products needs spending considerable foreign exchange. Successive Governments have embarked on various initiatives to increase local production with the objective of reaching self-sufficiency in milk production.
Though the private sector is actively involved in all levels of the dairy value chain, there is no active organized trade body to work closely with the public sector organizations to achieve this goal.
To fulfill this long felt need, at the request of leading industry stakeholders, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has taken the initiative to form the Dairy Association of Sri Lanka to facilitate the sector to deliberate on matters of relevance, reach consensus and lobby their issues and concerns with policy makers for upliftment of the Sri Lanka’s dairy industry.
The main objective of the Association is to serve as the central forum for consensus building amongst different stakeholders within the dairy industry and to promote the local dairy industry to make it more competitive in the marketplace. The membership of the Association will comprise of individuals or firms engaged in farming, producing, processing, importing of dairy products and providing associated services. Fifteen leading companies representing the above sub sectors of the dairy industry has already joined the Association, while many other companies have shown their keen interest in enrolling as members.The formation of the Dairy Association of Sri Lanka took place on February 22 at the Board Room of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce officiated by Mrs. Dhara Wijayatilake, CEO of the Chamber with the participation of 15 founder members.
At the first meeting of the Association, the Constitution of the Association was unanimously adopted by the members present and an Executive Committee was elected.