SRI LANKA – Nestlé has commenced construction of a new manufacturing plant in Sri Lanka, as it strengthens its position in dairy and coconut products.
A ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the plant in Kurunegala was attended by the president of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena.
“Through this new investment, the company plans to expand its production capacity for its popular dairy and coconut-based products, providing consumers with more goods that cater to local tastes and nutritional needs,” the company was quoted as saying by Lanka Business Online.
“We are committed to Sri Lanka and believe in the country’s growth potential,” continued Nestlé Lanka managing director Shivani Hegde.
“Our new investment reinforces our purpose of enhancing the quality of life of the people of Sri Lanka as it will empower the farmers we work with daily and uplift their lives.”
Nestlé already operated a factory in Kurunegala, where it installed a new UHT milk plant at the end of 2016.
It invested around LKR 500 million ($3.34 million) on the new production facility in November as a commitment to develop the local dairy industry.
The Swiss-headquartered company anticipated that its new plant, for the manufacture of ready-to-drink products like Milo, Nespray, Nutri-Up and Nescafé Ice, would help provide local consumers with more milk-based products that cater to local tastes and nutritional needs.
The company also launched a Coconut Development Programme in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Coconut Cultivation Board.
It also donated 10,000 coconut plantlets across 150 acres to 2,000 coconut farming families, and developed 2 model coconut farms to showcase best practices.
January 16, 2017
