Decision to import two lacks of hatching eggs to overcome the shortage of parent birds

The reason for the current drop of monthly egg production in Sri Lanka up to 30 million is that shortage of animal feed and reduction of import of parent birds from 80,000 to 40,000 annually. Although 80,000 parent birds were imported each year the decline of such imports during the past year up to 40,000 severely affected the egg and chicken meat production.

The Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Mahinda Amaraweera has instructed Livestock Division of the Ministry of Agriculture to take measures to import two lacks of hatching eggs to this country since import of parent birds may delay the egg production in around 11 months.

The Department of Animal Production and Health has already taken initiatives for the said purpose and it is scheduled to implement the programme to produce parent birds from these imported hatching eggs in the hatcheries located in Miriswatta and Marawila farms operated under National Livestock Development Board.

Steps have already been taken to hand over the importation of hatching eggs to National Livestock Development Board and private entities and necessary facilities will be provided by Livestock Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Animal Production and Health.

Over the past years, our country was self-sufficient in egg and chicken meat production and however, with the imposition of chemical fertilizer ban, maize production decreased up to 40 % and thereby, animal production has collapsed due to shortage of animal feed.

The annual requirement of eggs in Sri Lanka is around 2990 million. The monthly egg requirement ranges between 249-250 million. However, it has decreased up to 30 million at present.

The officials of Livestock Division pointed out that egg production in Sri Lanka will increase by next May and June if these hatching eggs are imported before the end of February.