Mccully Visits Initiative Helping Build Peace In Sri Lanka

Mccully Visits Kiwi Dairy Initiative Helping Build Peace In Sri Lanka

TEAR Fund CEO, Ian McInnes has taken Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Murray McCully, to see a TEAR Fund project in Sri Lanka, which is helping to rebuild shattered lives through dairying, following the devastating civil war.

The project is getting the dairy industry on its feet again. It is bringing together both Tamil and Singhalese farmers to work alongside each other to lift their incomes, with the help of Kiwi dairy expertise. Mr. McCully says, “We know of the suffering that has taken place here and something of the challenge that the awaits the community. I am very pleased to partner with TEAR Fund on this ambitious project to bring increased prosperity to local farmers. This is part of a wider cooperation on dairy in Sri Lanka and we are proud this of this, our first project”.

Mr McInnes is passionate about this project after being involved in helping those injured during the final months of war, when he worked for an aid agency in the country at that time. He says the Tamil communities in the North suffered enormously during the protracted conflict losing loved ones, many were maimed and they lost their homes, land and livelihoods.

“With the help of Kiwis, government funding and New Zealanders with expertise in dairying, milk collection points, milk chilling centres and on-farm dairy management and breeding programme, these farmers are establishing new lives. With more incomes, they can create better lives for their families, and at the same time it is helping to bridge the gap between the ethnic groups helping to mend the wounds of the past.”

With chilling stations and cool collection points, innovation to monitor milk temperatures, thanks to New Zealand company Patton Ltd, milk quality will improve resulting in better incomes for farmers, Mr McInnes says.

Mr McCully officially laid the cornerstone of one of the new regional milk chilling stations in Sri Lanka’s North.

ENDS

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