The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) offers drugs worth Rs. 08 million to protect livestock from diseases caused by floods.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has today (03) delivered a stock of drugs worth Rs.08 million to Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries to protect livestock from diseases that can affect cattle, goats, chicken and pigs due to the current flood situation.

This stock of medicinal drugs includes a large number of antibiotics and drugs used for injections. JICA chief representative Mr. Yamada Tetsuya, representatives Mr. Mizuno Tsuyoshi and Senior Representative Mr. Noguchi Takuma and project expert Mr. Prasad Nishshanka also participated at this occasion.

The minister said that this stock of medicine is to be distributed to the farmers who are engaged in the livestock sector representing all the 09 provinces in the country, and for that, steps will be taken to give the stock of medicine to the Department of Animal Production and Health.

Meanwhile, the minister expressed his views to the media regarding the damage caused to livestock sectors due to the prevailing rainy weather.

The minister emphasized that many farms with pigs have been destroyed due to the floods that have affected some areas due to heavy rains in the last two days, and many small-scale poultry farms have been destroyed.

Also, the minister emphasized that there is a risk of vegetable prices rising in the near future as many commercial vegetable plantations have been destroyed. The minister also mentioned that although the consumption of chicken meat and eggs has increased due to the increase in fish prices, the chicken production companies and poultry farm owners have agreed not to increase the price of chicken meat at this time.

Mr.Janaka Dharmakeerthi, Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Mr.K.H.Karunarathna, the Ministerial Advisor and others participated at this occasion.