Aug 01, Colombo: The liquid milk production has doubled in Sri Lanka within the past two year, Milco (Pvt) Ltd, the wholly-owned government dairy company says.

Milco Chairman Sunil Wickremasinghe has said that the milk production has been increased up to 550,000 liters from 225,000 liters two years ago.

Rapid development in dairy farming in the Northern and Eastern Provinces following the end of the conflict has mainly contributed to the increased dairy production.

The company purchases half of the local liquid milk production to manufacture milk powder and other dairy items.

The Sri Lankan government is promoting the consumption of fresh milk among the public in a measure to save billions of rupees it spends on importing powdered milk.

Sri Lanka plans to increase its domestic dairy production to 100 percent of self-sufficiency by 2016.