Ambewela Factory of the State-run entity Milco (Pvt) Ltd, is looking at introducing fresh milk to the market to meet the growing demand, Factory Manger MILCO, Mahinda Dissanayake said.
The MILCO factory commenced operations in 1974 with 5,600 liters of fresh milk collected at Kotagala Chilling Centre, producing only 100 to 150 kilos of Milk Powder per day. With regular investments and upgrading and automation today the total milk collection has reached 100 million liters per annum and MILCO is the premier dairy producer in Sri Lanka with over 55% of the market share. In 1989 MLICO started producing butter and today 33,000 kilos of butter is produced at Ambewela which also producers Gee.
He said that currently they need more fresh milk to earn more revenue. “After the automation we have increased capacity but the supple of fresh milk is adequate.”
He said that with increased supply which is now slowly happening our thin margin of profit can improve making MILCO a highly profitable venture. The revision of milk powder prices too would help us financially. “When this is in place we will also start manufacturing other products like Fresh milk.”
The company also own and operate Colombo Milk Factory, Digana Milk Factory and Polonnaruwa Milk Factory and will invest Euro 62 million to set up a state-of-the-art milk processing factory in Badalgama, Negombo, MILCO Chairman Keerthi Mihiripenna said. “The proposed factory which will be commissioned in 2020 will have a capacity to process around 200,000 litres of milk a day adding to the current capacity of processing 450,000 litres a day.”
Highland ice-cream and yoghurt have been Milco’s flagship products in its range comprising Highland milk powder, ice-cream, liquid milk, condensed milk, curd and yoghurt.
Rural Economic Affiairs, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister P Harrison has instructed relevant authorities to increase the production of MILCO and Highland products to meet up the demand.
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