Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera advised the Animal Production and Health Department to start research to introduce two species of cattle and goats suitable for our country in order to increase the production of milk and meat in our country.
One of the reasons affecting the increase in livestock production in our country is the lack of suitable animals for the respective products. Although we import cows and goats for milk and meat production, those animals die because they cannot withstand the climatic conditions of our country and suffer from other diseases.
Animal Production and Health Department Officials pointed out that it usually takes five to seven years for this kind of research, and said that they have started research to identify a new species of cattle using white cattle in the Eastern Province.
They also said that further research is going on regarding the Kottukachchiya goat species produced in the Kottukachchiya farm.
The daily amount of beef required by our country is 37,000 metric tons. Most of this meat is imported. Also, only 40 percent of the milk requirement is produced locally. Sixty percent of the milk requirement is met through imports.
Due to this, the main problem is that the farmers do not have access to the technology that can produce more milk, and there is no breed of cattle that can produce more milk in this country.
If our livestock sector had started this project five years ago, we could have produced cattle and goat species suitable for our country by now. But due to not taking the necessary steps for that, we have to import the amount of milk and meat that the country needs today.
Therefore, the minister said that research should be started immediately to identify two species of cows and goats suitable for the climate of our country.
The Minister gave these instructions in a discussion held at the Peradeniya Animal Production and Health Department recently.
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