No imports - local livestock farmers to be protected

Minister of Livestock Development R. M. C. B. Rathnayaka had a discussion with Minister of Trade, Marketing Development, Cooperative Services and Consumer Affairs and agreed not to import chicken or any other product produced by local livestock farmers.

Referring to some news items in certain newspapers, minister Rathnayaka said that about 300,000 livestock farmers in this country are contributing Rs. 30,000 million to the national income and he would not facilitate anybody to import livestock products in an unwarranted manner to disturb the development of the local livestock industry.

The local livestock farmers produce at least 120,000 metric tonnes of meat and 1,000 million eggs annually and of that they produce about 80,000 metric tonnes of chicken and broiler annually, which is marginally enough to meet the local demand of chicken.