At present, only 40% of the country’s demand is met by fresh milk, with the remaining demand addressed by powdered milk imports. Currently, the country cannot meet the fresh milk demand due to the shortage of milk, Chairman of Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) PLC Deshamanya Harry Jayawardena stated.

“In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe this need to be further heightened. At present, only 40% of the country’s demand is met by fresh milk, with the remaining demand addressed by powdered milk imports, thus leaving significant room for domestic growth. The continued transition from powdered milk to liquid milk is a favourable development in this regard, and Lanka Milk Foods is uniquely positioned to capture this emerging market. Our farms produce international standard milk, unfortunately, we cannot meet the fresh milk demand due to the shortage of milk,” Jayawardena told shareholders in the annual report 2019/20.

However, Jayewardene stated that their new project ‘United Dairies Lanka’, established with the aim of increasing the herd and quality milk within farms will ensure that they can reduce the quantity of imported milk powder and replace it with the best fresh milk available in the country.

Speaking further he also expressed the following:

“The Lanka Milk Foods Group is committed towards meeting stakeholder needs through strategic expansion, quality improvement mechanisms and national self-sufficiency in milk production and we embark in a 3 billion dairy farm.

“In a bid to improve stakeholder satisfaction, we are focused on fulfilling the future demand for fresh milk with the commencement of a new project at Ambewela, aimed at increasing our cattle herd and thereby increasing the production of milk.”

“ Our continued focus remains on expanding market share across our business categories through enhanced distribution channels and investment into our portfolio of brands.”

“ Our dedication to quality and customer-centricity continues to hold us in good stead, ensuring our pursuit of the innovative development of products, while ensuring added value through safe consumer-friendly packaging and labelling - and upholding our reputation as the nation’s best-loved dairy provider in the years to come."