Sri Lanka in an effort to promote local milk production and achieve self-sufficiency in milk and milk products in the country plans to import 20,000 high yielding milch cows.
Minister of Rural Economic Affairs P Harrison says the government aims to achieve self-sufficiency in dairy products by 2020.
The Sri Lankan government has given high priority to increase the local milk production to meet the local consumption requirements as the local diary industry produces only 42 per cent of the daily milk requirement while the government spends US$ 300 million annually to import the rest mainly from Australia and New Zealand.
At a ceremony held in Gannoruwa to distribute appointment letters to 120 Veterinary Surgeons, the Minister said an agreement has already been signed to obtain 5000 milking cows from France. These cows will be distributed among the farmers in Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Badulla districts.
Source – Dairy Site