Against the backdrop of the number of cattle and goats dying due to inclement weather conditions in the Northern and Eastern provinces during the past few days rising to 1,650, Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera has instructed the relevant institutions and officials to prepare a programme to protect livestock in the face of such situations that may occur in the future.
The Livestock Division of the Ministry of Agriculture has released the latest data regarding the number of cattle and goats that have died in the Northern and Eastern Provinces due to the cold weather conditions in recent days. According to the data, as of 12 noon yesterday (12), the number of dead cattle and goats in those provinces had increased to 1,650.
Among the dead animals are 691 cattle and 296 goats in the Northern Province, and 555 cattle and 108 goats in the Eastern Province. In addition to the dead animals, 182 cattle and 147 goats in the Northern Province, and 16 cattle in the Eastern Province have been identified as being unwell.
Meanwhile, speaking to The Morning, Media Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture Dharma Wanninayake said that Amaraweera has instructed the relevant officials, including the Ministry Secretary, to conduct post-mortem investigations regarding the dead animals and to submit a report as soon as possible. He also said that Amaraweera has instructed the relevant institutions and officials to take necessary steps including providing formal training to farmers on how to protect their livestock in such weather conditions that may occur in the future.
The Eastern Province Governor’s Office had, meanwhile, ordered to keep all slaughterhouses, butcheries, and meat shops except for those that sell chicken closed for one week starting from yesterday. The said decision has been taken due to the possibilities of the illegal transportation of the carcasses of cattle and goats to other Districts under the guise of slaughtered animals, and selling them at meat shops. Late last week, President Ranil Wickremesinghe had ordered to suspend the transportation of beef and mutton between Districts and Provinces with immediate effect.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Ministry Director (Planning) Dr. Niroshan Gamage speaking on the Ada Derana Big Focus Programme, said that it has not been reported that wild animals have died due to the cold weather conditions that prevailed. Noting that the Ministry of Agriculture has paid more attention to animals related to the agriculture and livestock sectors, he said that the Northern, Eastern, and Northwestern provinces have been identified as the affected areas.
Furthermore, Government Veterinary Officers’ Association Secretary Dr. Nuwan Hewagamage stated that the post-mortem examinations conducted on the dead animals did not reveal any facts that could be confirmed as to whether they had died due to some disease. He said that it is currently suspected that the deaths occurred due to the sudden drop in ambient temperature.
With the cold weather conditions that prevailed in the Northern and Eastern Provinces during the past few days, a large number of cattle and goats were found to have died. Many such deaths were reported in the Districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, and Vavuniya in the Northern Province, and in many areas belonging to the Eastern Province. It is believed that these animals may have died because of the cold conditions. However, in order to ascertain whether the deaths were caused by an epidemic, the samples of all the dead animals had been referred for the relevant laboratory testing.
