Awareness-raising about the 'Kiri Ithirena Ratak' national program for the districts takes place at the Ministry of Agriculture with the participation of Mr. K.D. Lalkantha.

The Dairy Hub program, which is being launched under the theme "Kiri Ithirena Ratak", national program to uplift the local dairy industry, was held today (8^th ) at the auditorium of the Ministry of Agriculture under the patronage of Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha.

At this event, Member of Parliament Susantha Kumara Nawarathna, National Organizer of the National Center for Protection of Dairy Farmers, explained the objectives of this national program to those present. Subsequently, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation, Mrs. Palika Fernando, expressed her views regarding the ministry's role in the Dairy Hub program. When obtaining funds for the Dairy Hub program, Rs. 3000 million per year is required. It was pointed out that ministry treasury funds, provincial treasury funds, and Department of Animal Production and Health treasury funds would be needed.

Under the 'Kiri Ithirena Ratak' national program, Dairy Hubs will be established covering 12 districts and 201 veterinary divisions, and farmer training programs are scheduled to be conducted. A five-year action plan has been prepared for this program, and steps have been taken to successfully carry forward the Dairy Hub program through monthly progress reviews and follow-up evaluations.

Dr. H.H.A. Sisira Piyasiri explained the operational aspects of the Dairy Hub concept in his capacity as Director of the Livestock Planning Division of the Ministry. He emphasized the importance of practically solving the problems and difficulties faced by dairy farmers in the liquid milk industry in general.

Dr. Piyasiri expressed his views on the basic objectives of this national program. Accordingly, it is expected to achieve the following goals: promoting pasture cultivation as a subsidiary crop among farmers who cultivate crops in the area, increasing animal efficiency, technology for making animal feed accessible, animal disease control, clean milk production and value addition, profit and loss farm analysis, and problem-solving.

Mr. Mahinda Ekanayaka, Director of Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Production and Health, explained the role of the Department of Animal Production and Health in livestock development. He stated that achieving the goals of the Dairy Hub program within the next five years would not be a very difficult task. Dr. Ekanayaka mentioned that this occasion was a golden opportunity where the views of veterinary surgeons and political authority converged, appreciating the success of this national program.

Joining this occasion, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha expressed his views.

“All philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world. The point, however, is to change it," Karl Marx stated. What everyone has been doing is analyzing, but the point is to change the world. When it comes to changing things, there are considerable weaknesses in our country. 

“Labor created man," Engels has said. That means man was created with a purpose. To explain it further, for production. Man is created to intervene in production with a purpose.

You can't do this work by clashing with government officials. The challenge we have here is to work with officials as well as with the farming community. We need to be as enthusiastic as possible, we need to be competent. Our country needs managers who can manage human resources. They are the ones who become leaders. "If possible, let's do it; if not possible, let's do it somehow." The facilities in government service are limited. That's true, but what we have now is a government that can create hope for all public servants.

Talk like "no, we can't, we can't do this with that person" is useless. I can work with any official in our ministry. We must intervene in the relevant places and make this program successful. We must create in the country's mentality the idea that grass should be grown as a crop. You must be skilled in getting the relevant area's farming community and officials together to cultivate grass as a crop. The private sector should also be involved in this. As the government, we will make the necessary interventions.

No one is thinking about running a farm with ten cows. There are about ten professions. It's the leftovers from those that go into farming. Farmers haven't been given value. Agriculture can be made into an economically viable profession. Let's intervene and succeed in this task.

Members of Parliament from the districts, veterinary surgeons, and representatives of dairy farmer associations participated in this occasion.