Livestock Development Ministry to import 2,500 hybrid cows in 2013:

NLDB steps up milk production

By Mohammed Naalir

The Menikpalama Dairy Farm will be made into a state-of the-art farm. Our aim is to achieve self-sufficiency in dairy products. The Government has taken steps to achieve this goal, National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) Chairman, Lieutenant Colonel Ranjith Ellegala said.

He said plans are afoot to increase milk production in the region by distributing calves to dairy farmers and estate workers.

The Chairman said already the Government has imported 500 cows under the first phase of the dairy industry improvement program. Another herd of 1,500 cows will be imported by end December or January next year. Altogether US$ 12 million has been allocated for the program including the renovation of buildings, construction of new buildings and developing infrastructure facilities.

Besides, steps have been taken to develop the Polonnaruwa, Digana and Ambewela farms and set up the milk powder plant at Ambewela, NLDB Chairman said.

The Biologist Division of the Veterinary Institute, Peradeniya conducts various studies on animal disease while providing various services. Plans for the next year will be drafted in the proceeding year and studies conducted on that basis, Head of Biologist Division, Dr. Palika Fernando said.

If a new disease is identified we conduct thorough studies to find the cause and eradicate it. The Research officers, research assistants and the laboratory assistants extend tremendous support in conducting surveys, Dr. Fernando said.

The Biologist division mainly focuses attention on bacterial studies. The Department is vigil in the process of enzymes vaccine production, she said.

She said this Division produces seed bacteria for enzymes vaccine. The produced sample will be subjected to a thorough quality check before sending it to the vaccine production plant. After the completion of the vaccine production, the produced materials will be brought to the Biologist Institute lab for the final check up.

Various bacterial check-ups are conducted at the institute, and treatment provided for Haemorrhagic Septicemia (HS). Finding medicine for HS disease takes significance among the products of the Peradeniya Veterinary Institute. Subsequent to the introduction of the vaccine for HS disease no animal was infected with the disease for more than 10 years. "Normally, HS disease infects the throat area of the animal. Studies are conducted to determine whether the disease could appear on the other parts of the animal.

"Austria, Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa and Thailand obtain services from the Peradeniya Veterinary Institute to eliminate Haemorrhagic Septicemia.

"The services provided by the institute include consultancy to assist in making diagnoses and develop diagnostic capability in the affected country. The Veterinary institute, Peradeniya also plans to conduct this study on wild animals", Dr. Palika said.

The Institute plans to hold a discussion with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) seeking certificates confirming the elimination of the Haemorrhagic Septicemia disease from the country, Dr. Palika said.

The certificate of the WOAH will be helpful to Sri Lanka to import and export animals, she said.

Another disease caused to the cow is udder infusion mastiffs. If the cow is infected with the disease milk production will reduce. At the initial stage the symptoms of the disease is not found on the animal's body. The Institute also provides treatment for udder infusion mastiffs. The Institute conducts a thorough study on the disease. On some occasions bacteria will not answer, and we have to find an alternative move, Dr. Palika said.

Veterinary Officer, Central Artificial Insemination Station, Kundasale, W.W. Abeygunawardane said the station provides materials for artificial insemination. The main focus of the NLDB is to increase milk production of the country through artificial insemination. The milk production capacity of domestic cows are poor due to weak gene capacity.

The artificial insemination method is used to increase the milk production capacity of domestic cows.

The sperm of bulls with a high gene capacity will be inserted into the wombs of domestic cows and a generation with high milk capacity will be formed, Abeygunawardane said.

Ten Jersey bulls with high gene capacity were imported from Australia in February. These bulls are expensive and cost nearly Rs. 3 million each. But the benefits derived are high when compared to the market price. A large number of calves can be produced from these bulls, he said.

Over 170,000 artificial inseminations have been conducted so far, but 100 percent success cannot be expected. We have the capacity to produce 30,000 to 40,000 calves per year, he said.

When I came to Kundasale in 1991 the milk production capacity of a domestic cow was less than 6 litres. Now it has increased to 15 litres. As there is a shortage of pasture lands maintaining a large number of cows is not possible. Maximum benefit has to be obtained from a few animals, Abeygunawardane said.

The Livestock Development Ministry plans to import 1,500 cows to the Bopaththalawa farm before the end of the year, Livestock Development Ministry sources said.

The Ministry has taken steps to import 2,500 cows next year. The number of cattle with a high gene capacity will be 5,000. Now the calves of the imported cows are distributed to dairy farmers. The Ministry plans to import 10,000 cattle through the Economic Development Ministry and distribute them among the dairy farmers. The Veterinary doctors provide training to dairy farmers in the Divisional Secretariat Division level. The "Divineguma" program also provides training to dairy farmers, Ministry sources said.

A female worker of Menikpalama said the farm lacked basic facilities and Minister Arumugam Thondaman developed it. Now they enjoyed all facilities similar to those in developed countries.

Instructor of Menikpalama dairy farm, Yohan Warshaman said he was happy to take part in improving Sri Lanka's dairy industry. I always instruct the relevant factions of ways and means to improve the infrastructure facilities and management skills. The staff are also trained from time to time

He said this is the first project in Sri Lanka. Several parties benefit from the farm, such as, the local community, transport service providers, tea companies and other industries.

There are 500 Crossbred, Jersey and Friesian variety cows in the Menikpalama dairy farm. Over 9,000 litres of milk is produced daily.

The farm consists four well built cattle sheds, a milking parlour with modern milking equipment connected with a computer and a hygienic milk storing room. The changes occurring in the animals , pregnant cows and milking capacity of the animals can easily be identified from the milking machine. Separate sheds are maintained for sick animals and new born animals.

There are facilities to milk 48 cows simultaneously. Microchips have been fixed to cows. The quality, size, milking speed, and other information are stored in the computer. Each cow has the capacity to give 21 litres of milk. Production has exceeded the target of 20 litres per day from a cow.

The cows in the farm are in good health, and the percentage of bacteria in the milk produced in the farm is very low. It means the milk produced in this farm conforms to international standards, Director General of the Department of Animal Production and Health, Dr. W.K De Silva said.

He said before importing animals or birds the experts in the field visit the relevant country and conduct a thorough study on the animals or birds to be imported. The Department will leave no room to import sick or infected animals.

The Department receives guidelines from the World Organisation for Animal Health, Dr. Silva said.