Maha Mega Uyana Setting standards for Dry Zone Dairy Industry Development

The Maha Mega Uyana Livestock Development Farm, a major component of the dry zone dairy industry development project conceived by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) and funded by Exetel Private Limited of Sydney, Australia held the foundation laying ceremony at Moragaha Ulpotha in Wilgamuwa, recently.

The chief guest was Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon.

Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, laying the foundation stone to the Maha Mega Uyana Livestock Development Farm.

The main objective of the Exetel supported SLWCS dairy development effort is to develop a project that would contribute to resolving human elephant conflict by developing dry zone dairy to benefit both elephants and people. Cattle and elephants do not have conflicts and will share resources in harmony, thus the goal is to develop appropriate management systems and sustainable technologies such as improved breeding, better husbandry, and rangeland and pasture management so that both cattle and elephants can continue to share resources.

The SLWCS hopes to achieve these goals and objectives by establishing a model dairy project that consists of a nucleus breeding, dry zone pasture management and sustainable technology development programs.

The Society will work in partnership and consultation with the Farm Animal Production and Health Department' and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the University of Peradeniya, National Livestock Development Board, Department of Animal Health and Production, the Engineering and Electronic Communications Laboratory of the University of Moratuwa and other various local and national government institutions.

The Minister and the other dignitaries after the laying of the foundation stone participated in planting CO3 grass to initiate the project's pasture development program. SLWCS Farm's Project Manager, Samantha Mirandu explained the aims and goals of the dairy project. Ravi Corea, the President of the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society in his speech gave an overview of the drawbacks and obstacles that hampered the development of the dry zone dairy industry in Sri Lanka.

He stressed that these challenges had to be overcome and that was one of the main objectives of the SLWCS dairy project.

Corea also mentioned that one of the main reasons to develop a successful smallholder dairy model was the immediate necessity to provide farmers in intense human elephant conflict areas with a livelihood that was compatible to living with elephants.