Fonterra launched a mega event in Galle in collaboration with the Livestock Development Ministry to create awareness amongst the public about the goodness of dairy products and promote the consumption of milk among school children.

The inaugural series of competitions for school children under the ‘Kiri Ithurum Mangallaya’ programme was launched under the patronage of Southern Province Chief Minister Shan Wijelal de Silva, amidst a fun-packed carnival atmosphere at the Samanala Grounds in Galle. This was the first in a series of regional competitions that will be held in six other provinces.

Fonterra Brands Lanka, a leader in the local dairy industry is providing its unstinted support and commitment to the government’s National Dairy Development Drive. The goal of the government and Fonterra is to motivate and encourage dairy farmers to achieve enhanced productivity and develop the industry. This would ultimately improve the nutrition levels of the nation by including the habit of drinking milk among the younger generation.

Important feature of the inaugural event was the stall on nutrition run by the Wayamba University’s Department of Applied Nutrition providing nutrition counselling and educate the visitors on the goodness of dairy produce.

"Kiri Ithurum Mangallaya" will herald a series of activities to create awareness about the importance of drinking two glasses of milk a day to the growing school children. Four competitions that focused on general knowledge, art, drama and speech were among the highlights of the activities encompassing hundreds of school children from the schools in the Southern Province.