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A high-powered Sri Lankan delegation, headed by Aruna Kumara Dissanayake, minister of agriculture, livestock, lands and irrigation, recently concluded a two-day visit to Anand to study the prospects of developing dairying in Sri Lanka based on the Anand pattern.
The four-member delegation met V Kurien, chairman, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation.
"It was a learning experience and we will study all aspects of the Anand model to see if it could be replicated in our country. Sri Lanka has a lot to learn from Kurien and the Amul management," said Dissanayake at the end of the two-day visit.
Sri Lanka is a predominantly agricultural country and this visit would boost agriculture, with emphasis on livestock.
"Sri Lanka is heavily dependent on imports of milk and milk products and it aims to achieve at least 50 per cent self-sufficiency in the milk production. The Anand pattern might provide the solution. It will also providing rural employment," said Dissanayake.
"Sri Lanka's current situation in dairying is more or less the same as that of India in the sixties. Due to implementation of the Anand pattern of dairy development across the country, India has now emerged as the world's largest milk producer. We will help Sri Lanka develop dairying so that, in the long run, farmers in Sri Lanka could benefit," said Kurien.
"In the initial stages, GCMMF would be willing to help in all possible ways. Including setting up a new dairy plant, if needed. The only condition is that it should benefit the farmers, said Kurien.
The delegation visited Mother Dairy, Gandhinagar, Amul Dairy Plant, Vidya Dairy, Amul Cheese Plant and Amul Research and Development Association. The delegation also visited Navli village cooperative society.
The Sri Lankan delegation also comprised S L A Daniel, additional secretary, livestock, H V R G Navaratne, deputy chairman, Milk Industries Lanka Company and Nihal Weerasuriya.
Apart from Kurien, the delegation also held discussions with B M Vyas, managing director, GCMMF, and other top officials of Amul.
Aiming for Anand