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2009-10-23
Colombo, October 23, 2009: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through its economic development project has established a dairy farmer network in Punani, Batticaloa. USAID partnered with the CIC Mahaweli Livestock & Dairy, a subsidiary of the CIC Agribusiness Ltd., to launch a new yoghurt and curd factory at the Siddapura farm in Punani, Batticaloa.
The USAID-funded Connecting Regional Economies project joined hands, with CIC Agribusiness Ltd. to form a dairy farmer network of 350 farmers in Welikanda, Polonnaruwa district, and Punani in Batticaloa district. This network will supply milk to the new yoghurt and curd factory. CIC hopes to expand the factory in the future.
USAID is connecting farmers who produce the milk with companies that have a a market for their products. The USAID project partnered with CIC to conduct a technical and business basics training for the participating farmers coming from different ethnic backgrounds. The technical training included topics such as shelters, breeding practices, health, nutrition, milking practices and milk quality to help improve dairy production and incomes of farmers. USAID also provided 50 milk cans to the farmers.
As a result of these interventions USAID expects that the income of participating farmers will increase by 50% within one year. The dairy farmer networks will also be strengthened in order to restore the dairy value chain in the Eastern Province.
This assistance from USAID is part of the U.S government’s strategy to increase human and economic security in the East by promoting economic growth in areas affected by and bordering the conflict. USAID has provided over $13.5 million over the last three years to support economic growth in the region.
The USAID Connecting Regional Economies project creates linkages with private sector entrepreneurs, using an integrated approach through livelihood development, improved value chains, enhanced participation in value chain services, strengthened workforce development and establishment of a positive business enabling environment. The project seeks to improve the lives of its target beneficiaries through investment, employment, and income enhancement in project areas.
The USAID project has set up offices in Colombo, Trincomalee, Anuradhapura, and Ampara, covering operations in the Eastern, North Central and Uva Provinces. USAID works with the private sector, government, and beneficiaries to mobilize interventions to increase employment and incomes in the dairy, agriculture, fisheries, tourism and other sectors.
For more information on other U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) projects in Sri Lanka, please visit http://srilanka.usaid.gov.
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Launching new yoghurt and curd factory at the Siddapura farm in Punani.
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