Steps to enhance dairy farming

B.W. Eheliyagoda Kegalle Special Corre.

Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council has taken steps to enhance dairy farming in Sabaragamuwa Province both as a livelihood for the rural masses and to extend helping hand to the Government's program in the manufacture of condensed milk and to conserve foreign exchange preventing the vast sums of funds incurred in importing milk.

This will also contribute immensely in solving the rural unemployment problem while providing fresh milk and other milk products for the people, said Sri Lal Wickramasinghe, Agriculture, Land and Irrigation Minister of the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council.

He was speaking at a meeting at Hettimulle Bandaranaike Maha Vidyalaya.

Wickramasinghe stated as proposed by Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister Mahipala Herath, arrangements will be made to open 'milk bars' in all schools in Sabaragamuwa to provide a glass of milk daily for the students.

He said the biggest dairy farm in Sabaragamuwa is the Undugoda Dairy Farm in the Kegalle district.

It was neglected by previous regimes and that the Government took steps to provide all assistance to vote all funds in improving conditions in this premier dairy farm in the Kegalle District.

The Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council has already apportioned Rs. 450 million for its development activities. The Sabaragamuwa PC has already provided hybrid cattle to Undugoda Dairy Farm and it is soon expected to import more hybrid cows for this premier dairy farm in the Province.

Adequate quantity of fresh milk would be obtained both for the distribution of fresh milk and also for the production of milk based products such as butter and yoghurt and sweetmeats.

Several officials of the Lands and Agriculture Ministry of Sabaragamuwa PC and students and staff members of schools along with the public in the area participated at this meeting.