Milch cows from Netherlands

by S.M. Wijayaratne, Kurunegala Cor.

The Government has decided to import 20,000 milch cows from the Netherlands this year to increase local milk production and meet the requirements of fresh milk within the country. Two thousand milch cows have been already imported from Australia and another 2500 milch cows would be imported to Sri Lanka from Australia soon.

These milch cows would be nurtured at Government Farms in Hambantota and Ridiyagama and the infrastructural facilities of these farms would be developed at a cost of Rs.15 million said a senior zonal manager J. Gunesekera of the Ministry of Livestock Development in Kurunegala recently.

He said that 15,000 unemployed educated youth would get direct and indirect job opportunities in Kurunegala and Puttalam Districts from dairy farming development activities. one hundred and fifty youngsters interested in dairy management would be trained on new techniques of cattle keeping this year, Gunasekara said.