The shortage of cattle feed and low efficiency of dairy cows has badly affected the country's dairy industry, National Livestock Development Board (NLDB Chairman) Chairman and Sabaragamuwa University Faculty of Agriculture Dean Manjula Amith Magammana said.
He made this observation at a media conference held at the Government Information Department yesterday under the patronage of Information and Communication Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, to make the public more aware about the much debated Cabinet Paper presented by Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development Minister Chamal Rajapaksa seeking Cabinet approval for the implementation of programme to improve the milk production in the country under the Saubhagya development Programme of the government.
The NLDB Chairman said that the importation of 2,500 milch cows was one of several proposals made through that Cabinet Paper and not the major concern of the government.
Before the importation of dairy cattle, we have to improve the infrastructure facilities of breeding farms and also to increase cattle feed production in the country.
He further said that the 2,500 cattle are proposed to be imported by changing the subject of the milk cows importation programme implemented during the previous government under a loan granted by the Australian government.
He further said that those milk cows won't be distributed among dairy farmers and would be used for breeding purposes at the Rideegama and Nikaweratiya farms.
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