Self-sufficiency soon in agriculture, livestock

*Govt’s aim a healthy nation

*Stable price for dairy farmers

Rasika SOMARATHNA

“The government was able to usher significant improvement in the productivity of livestock and agriculture, leading to improvement in the socio-economic status of the beneficiary families and the country as a whole,” President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday.

“I would call it an agricultural revolution. We would soon achieve self-sufficiency in both sectors.

“Our aim is a healthy nation which is not indebted to anyone,” the President said addressing a gathering at the BMICH where he inaugurated the International Livestock and Poultry, EXPO 2011 exhibition.

President Rajapaksa recalled that domesticated livestock had played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s rural culture, health and the economy during the past.

“However this culture changed due to the influence of invading foreign forces,” he said.

“Our development trends too were reversed. They forced us to be dependent on imported flour and milk while driving us into debt as a nation.”

“Since 2005 in line with the ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ policy vision, we have taken steps to revive these two sectors.

We strive to achieve excellence in agriculture and livestock development for national prosperity,” he said.

Describing some of the steps taken to develop the livestock and poultry industry, the President said that the government had been able to introduce a stable price of more than Rs.50 per litre of milk to encourage dairy farmers.

”New technology was introduced to improve productivity, 500 fertility farms were established, 1000 dairy villages too were established, related imports to support the industry were exempted from tax, we provided refrigeration facilities and new breeds,” the President added.

Commenting on the exhibition the President said that it was helpful in bringing information on new and innovative technologies to farmers in order to help them improve their production. Reffering to the large crowds gathered, he said that the interest shown by the masses on the exhibition was in itself an indication of the extent of the progress made by the sector in recent years.

The President noted that the development of the sector played a key role in making the future generation healthy, intelligent and strong and thereby helping the country’s overall socio-economic growth. The International Livestock and Poultry Exhibition would be open for the public at the BMICH premises until Saturday.

It consists of 100 stalls belonging to both local and foreign exhibitors. The event is organised by the Ministry of Livestock and Rural Community Development.

The exhibition includes a scientific conference, a poster competition, a quiz for students, an integrated model farm, exhibits of varieties of pasture plots, puppet and drama shows.

It also has demonstrations on hand milking, machine milking, producing value added milk products, poultry and swine management, services provided by MLRCD, DAPH, MILCO and NLDB, loan schemes etc.

Minister of Livestock and Rural Community Development Arumugam Thondaman, Secretary A.H.Gamage, Deputy Minister H.R.Mithrapala and MILCO Chairman Sunil Wickremasinghe also spoke.

Government Ministers, Parliamentarians, Livestock Ministry officials and the public were present.