Livestock Research Centre for Ratnapura

Ratnapura special correspondent

Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake laid a foundation stone for a Livestock Research Centre at Muwagama, Ratnapura, expected to complete at a cost of Rs. 70 lakhs.

The Minister speaking on the occasion said, "In the last three months 428 cows have been redeemed from death and for this purpose his ministry has allocated a sum of Rs. 100 lakhs."

"To develop livestock sector, it is important to take measures to protect from disease", he said.

"To overcome difficulties in collecting milk, Milk Collectors' Society will have to be set up at Pradeshiya Sabha and district level," he added.

"My ministry will establish milk producers' villages in order to develop this industry and a sum of Rs. 17 lakhs has already been allocated for this purpose," he said.

The minister said, "It is the present government that helped milk producers to get a share from the profit derived from Milco organisation.

"This government has also allocated Rs. 2,000 million to purchase paddy from the producers in the Maha season," he said.

The Minister stated, "We will set up a milk processing centre at Ratnapura for the benefit of producers.

Even though the milk collecting centres at Ratnapura and Balangoda could store a large stock of milk, there is difficulty in the collection of milk."