Celebrate School Milk Day with the MPO

Member countries of the FAO annually celebrate International School Milk Day during the month of September. The MPO first celebrated School Milk Day in 2004 when MPO Free State paved the way by handing out milk at three schools in Bloemfontein. The MPO uses its regional structures, in place across the country, to encourage milk producers to participate in the event by donating milk and arranging for the processing and packaging thereof, to be distributed to learners at schools in the vicinity. With the help of the MPO, teachers and learners are also informed about the nutritional benefits of drinking milk.

The aim of National School Milk Day is not only to create awareness of the importance of milk as a basic foodstuff, but also to emphasise the critical role played by dairy farmers as suppliers of this nutritious, healthy food. In South Africa, National School Milk Day is celebrated during the months of September and October with the majority of events taking place during the second week of October to coincide with the Department of Health’s National Nutrition Week. School Milk Day has evolved into an informative and fun-filled event at which between 20 000 and 30 000 pupils are reached by the MPO annually.

The MPO cooperates closely with Milk SA’s Consumer Education Project which supplies educational material for teachers and pupils that has been aligned with the curriculum and the Department of Health’s dietary guidelines. The Department of Basic Education will be participating in National School Milk Day for the first time this year and will be hosting events at various schools in North West province in collaboration with the MPO.