Communiqué

The Humpty Dumpty Institute

Monthly Communiqué from Sri Lanka

July 2008

HDI PARTNER LAND O’LAKES & YARLCO LAUNCH DAIRY PRODUCTS IN JAFFNA

As Land O’Lakes completed one year in operation in Jaffna, they together with Yarlco the Dairy Development Cooperative Society hosted nine dairy product launch events over three days in 9 locations throughout the Jaffna peninsula. This was the culmination of hard work to increase the production and quality of milk production at the farm, collection and processing of quality dairy products at Yarlco’s plant and distribution and cold transport of commercial products to the market. Sales over the three days exceeded $1750, but the main objective was to create consumer awareness of Yarlco’s quality dairy products.

It is estimated that over 5,000 people purchased products during these events and an additional 20,000 people stopped by the booths to pick up promotional materials.

Two young brothers sharing Yarlco’s vanilla yogurt at one                                          Crowds at a booth

of the nine Yarlco dairy product launches held in July                                    

The events were organized by the LOL and Yarlco staff and many weeks of planning went into this successful launch. Advertisements, flyers, loud speakers attracted the people to the booths. They also manned the booths, promoted sales and marketing and created general awareness on the goodness of drinking fresh milk.

Winners of the raffle games at each location were entitled to T-shirts, caps, visors and dairy products. The three days was a good opportunity for the people of Jaffna to come out and enjoy the fun and liveliness created by Land O’Lakes and Yarlco. Even the military dropped by and bought dairy products.

The diary products included yoghurt, flavoured milk, ghee, curd, lolly and ice cream. A market for paneer was developed during the re-launch by oral advertisement and hand outs.

Jaffna people buying dairy products.                                   Winner of the raffle game.

Sri Lankan Military stopping by the Yarlco product

launch to buy some curd

HDI together with its Partner Land O’Lakes have brought hope to the people of Jaffna, revitalized the Dairy industry and restored livelihoods.

 For more information on HDI’s work, please contact Jeanne Samuel, the Director of the Sri Lanka Office of HDI, #05-03, East Tower, World Trade Centre, Echelon Square, Colombo 01. Tel: 2421258. www.thehdi.org