Divi Neguma to uplift dairy farming

Steps will be taken under the Divi Neguma national programme to purchase excess cattle from large-scale dairy farmers and provide them to other farmers willing to take up dairy farming, said Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

He said so at a discussion at the Kotte Parliamentary Complex to resolve problems faced by dairy farmers in the Moneragala and Ratnapura districts recently. Parliamentarians representing the two districts, officials and several dairy farmers attended the discussion.

Minister Rajapaksa said measures have already been taken to identify the number of excess cattle belonging to large-scale dairy farmers and select the farmers suitable to take charge of the excess cattle.

Minister Rajapaksa said steps will be taken to provide all facilities including cattle sheds and milking machines to owners of dairy farms to develop them as milk production entrepreneurs.

A press release by the Economic Development Ministry said the problems encountered by farmers in grazing cattle due to the ban imposed on releasing cattle into forest reserves was also discussed at this meeting.