Kotmale reaffirms commitment to ’Nourishing Our Nation’

Left to right Mr. Chrishantha Kumarage, Head of Diary Development & Milk procurement, Dairy Sector, Cargills Group, Mr. Chandana Kelegama, Senior Manager, Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations, Cargills Ceylon PLC, Mr. Saranga Wijesundara Managing Director Dairy Sector, Cargills Group, Mr. Budath Indika Bandara, Chief Financial Officer, Dairy Sector, Cargills Group, Mr. Indika Perera, Head of Manufacturing, Dairy Sector, Cargills Group

Kotmale Sri Lanka recently launched its new brand campaign, “Nourishing Our Nation,” reaffirming its commitment to uplifting rural smallholder farmers, supporting sustainable dairy farming practices, while delivering high-quality dairy nutrition to Sri Lankan homes. The campaign spotlighted the traditional milk can as a symbol of the country’s dairy heritage and the journey of milk from farm to home.

Speaking at the launch event held on May 29 at The Kingsbury Colombo, CEO of Cargills (Ceylon) PLC, Ranjit Page, reflected on the company’s journey and the acquisition of Kotmale. “In the latter part of 2009, when the war ended, many had lost their lives. At this point, I had to give a vision statement and this is what I said: many parents and members of the armed forces lost their lives across the island. What change can we bring to their families? Do I give them life, opportunities for work, or open up not just markets, but factories and new ventures? It was based on this that we took over Kotmale in 2010,” Page stated.

He added that at the time, they realised that most of the finances flowing into villages came from migrant workers, therefore this motivated them to increase local income sources through Kotmale. “Kotmale has had a long journey since its acquisition. We must keep improving quality, efficiency, productivity and work to reduce the price of milk”.

Left to right Mr. Imtiaz Abdhul Wahid, Group Managing Director, Cargills Ceylon PLC, Mr. Ranjit Page, Deputy Chairman / CEO, Cargills Ceylon PLC, Mr. Saranga Wijesundara, Managing Director, Dairy Sector, Cargills Group 

While noting that Kotmale is the largest dairy milk collector in Sri Lanka, collecting 185,000 litres per day, Page emphasised that this amount should be increased further. He pointed out that although the World Health Organization recommends a daily intake of 200 millilitres of milk per person, many children in the country are not receiving this. “If we want to meet national nutritional needs and make milk affordable, we must boost the country’s milk supply. That’s Kotmale’s mission,” Page added.

Managing Director of the Dairy Sector at Cargills Ceylon PLC, Saranga Wijesundara, also addressed the gathering, highlighting three key pillars of the campaign. “One is the consumer. We give you the best nutrition in the country, and through our distributor network, we provide a full range of nutritional products for the country. Then, we have the farmer. We do much more than collect milk, but also support them in improving their yield, whilst also working towards improving their livelihoods. We also nourish our land through good practices. We follow good environmental practices to minimize our impact to the environment,” he explained.

Kotmale Sri Lanka recently launched its new brand campaign, “Nourishing Our Nation,” reaffirming its commitment to uplifting rural smallholder farmers, supporting sustainable dairy farming practices, while delivering high-quality dairy nutrition to Sri Lankan homes.

Wijesundara further highlighted that as the largest dairy milk collector in Sri Lanka 68 million litres are collected from smallholder dairy farmers annually and approximately Rs. 13.2 billion is paid to farmers each year. He underscored that this allows money to flow directly to rural villages, supporting national income distribution. He emphasised that Kotmale’s operations are about more than just business, but is a larger commitment towards developing the country.

Addressing the difference between large-scale farm milk and milk from smallholder farmers, Wijesundara said, “Milk from the udder is the same, but Kotmale milk carries a bigger story and has a larger impact on society. In Sri Lanka, 90% of milk comes from smallholder farmers. Over 200,000 farmers rely on this for their livelihood. Every product we make sends money back to rural communities, improving their income, livelihoods and social status. Large-scale farm milk doesn’t offer any other kind of value beyond milk supply.”

He also pointed out the benefits of digitizing the milk collection process: “When centres are digitalized, fat and SNF levels are measured automatically, and payments are based on those levels. There’s no manual involvement, and the system can detect any additives in the milk. This ensures quality and transparency. Farmers receive an instant SMS with their payment details, which builds trust and confidence.”

Mr. Ranjit Page, Deputy Chairman / CEO , Cargills Ceylon PLC	Mr. Saranga Wijesundara, Managing Director, Dairy Sector, Cargills Group

Highlighting on other diverse initiatives, Wijesundara noted that they performed artificial insemination which is required for genetic improvement of the herd, and run two mobile veterinary services, one in the upcountry and the other in the dry zone. They also offer financial assistance and support for cultivation, and introduced the Sarubima programme which contributes 50 cents per litre collected from farmers towards welfare activities, supporting scholarships for farmers’ children and improving community well-being.”

With World Environment Day having been celebrated yesterday, Wijesundara highlighted that sustainability remains a key priority for Kotmale. The company uses 100% recyclable packaging and has implemented rainwater harvesting and wastewater reuse systems for agricultural and cooling purposes. Investments in solar power and biomass boilers have also reduced reliance on fossil fuels, aligning Kotmale with broader environmental and governance goals.