Indian cooperatives ink pact with Sri Lanka for milk supply

New Delhi: India, the world’s largest milk producer, on Friday signed a memorandum of interest (MoI) with Sri Lanka for the supply of milk and milk products.

The MoI was signed at the inauguration of the country’s first-ever India International Cooperatives Trade Fair being organised at Pragati Maidan here.

“Three MoIs have been signed with the Sri Lanka government which shown interest to buy milk from India. The quantity and price has not been quoted yet,” a senior official of National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) said.

The Tamil Nadu Milk Cooperatiave Federation that owns ‘Aavin’ brand, Puducherry Milk Cooperative Federation that owns ‘PonLait’ brand and fertiliser company Indian Potash Ltd have signed a separate pact with the Sri Lanka government for the supply of milk, the official added.

India is the world’s largest milk-producing nation, with around 70 million producers. The country’s milk output is expected to reach 175 billion litres this year, nearly twice what the US, the second-biggest milk-producing nation, is expected to produce.