Milk man McCaw's latest mission
All Blacks captain steps out for his corporate sponsor in Sri Lanka.
World Cup-winning captain Richie McCaw has been wheeled out in Sri Lanka by dairy giant Fonterra, spruiking New Zealand's dairy credentials to a small group of farmers.
Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror website says "almost 50" Sri Lankan dairy farmers attended an event last week at Fonterra's milk processing site in Biyagama.
Fonterra's cooperative affairs managing director Todd Muller says paying for the rugby leader to visit Sri Lanka "demonstrates our strong commitment to the country and the dairy industry".
According to local newspaper The Island, Mr McCaw, Fonterra's global ambassador, said: "Like rugby, Kiwis love dairy. Producing milk is a big part of who we are and what we do. Our dairy industry was founded around 200 years ago and Fonterra is built on this tradition and expertise.
"It is fantastic to see Fonterra using this knowledge to help develop the national dairy industry in Sri Lanka."
And the Daily FT breathlessly notes Mr McCaw's visit "is not the first time Fonterra has brought international experts to Sri Lanka to help develop the national dairy industry".
The coverage was not all sweetness and light.
A comment on one of the stories says: "We adore you Richie, but, in Sri Lanka, dairy products are a luxury no matter how much the government tries to drive the industry."
Also, there was no mention in those reports of a campaign by rival newspaper The Nation over the "suspicion" agri-chemical dicyandiamide, or DCD, has entered the Sri Lankan market through New Zealand produced milk powder.
The Nation reported the Sri Lankan government has sent imported milk powder overseas to be tested for DCD.
Fonterra Brands Sri Lanka managing director Leon Clement has not ruled out DCD-laced milk powder has entered Sri Lanka.
As reported in last week's National Business Review print edition, Mr Clement says the company is reassuring customers that the levels of DCD found in dairy products last year "were not a food safety issue as the minute traces detected were around 100 times lower than tolerable daily intake guidelines established by the European Commission".
NBR Online staff
Tue, 02 Apr 2013
Tue, 02 Apr 2013
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Milk man McCaw's latest mission
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