Sri Lanka Only Asian Country Spared From Bird Flu; Poultry Industry Will Bounce Back As Shortcomings Are Resolved
Shakila Ifham
February 21, 2023
The poultry industry in Sri Lanka will rise again in the next six months, the Department of Animal Production and Health study reveals at a review meeting with the Agriculture Ministry and the Department of Animal Production.
The Department said that Sri Lanka is the only country in the Asian region that is free from the Bird Flu plaguing many countries across the globe, including the US, the minister advised his officials to use that reputation as a brand to promote our animal products in the international market.
Last year, due to the shortage of animal feed, stoppage of importation of mother animals, decrease in domestic production of maize in this country due to shortage of fertilizer and stoppage of importation of maize, the industry suffered immensely, the Ministry said.
However, by the end of last year, 36,000 mother animals have been imported. Also, as of last December, 178,000 tonnes of maize have been imported and cultivation activities have been organized with a target of 300,000 tonnes of maize in the 2023 spring and high season, so there is no possibility of a shortage of animal feed.
In the 2022/23 Maha season, 60,000 hectares of maize have been planted and the country has enough rice stocks, so old rice and paddy stocks can be used for animal feed, so there will be no shortage of animal feed.
Apart from that, it is reported that the private sector farms currently have about 1.5 million chickens.
They said that due to these facts, the poultry production industry in this country will definitely come forward again in the next six months, and the import of eggs should not be continued.
As Sri Lanka is the only country in the Asian region where no bird flu epidemic has been reported, there is a high demand for products related to the poultry industry here. Especially in India, sausages produced in Sri Lanka are in demand.
Also, many other countries have a high demand for chicken meat and eggs produced in Sri Lanka, it said.
Therefore, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera advised the Department of Animal Production and Health that since Sri Lanka is the only country free from bird flu in the Asian region; all measures should be taken to promote the reputation of Sri Lanka’s animal products in the world market.
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