Sri Lanka has introduced a new National Livestock Policy to replace its old framework, setting out a comprehensive plan for the development of the country’s livestock sector. 

The policy brings all major livestock subsectors under a single framework and comes at a time when the sector faces challenges such as low productivity and feed shortages to climate-related risks.

Policy goals

The National Livestock Policy applies to all stakeholders involved in livestock production, processing, marketing, research, and service delivery, including Government institutions, private sector actors, farmer organisations, academic and research institutions, development partners, and individual producers. Its scope covers cattle, buffalo, poultry, goats, sheep, and other domesticated animals that contribute to food production and rural livelihoods.

The updated framework has identified several gaps that have emerged over the past two decades. These include limited climate resilience in livestock production systems, weak integration of biosecurity and One Health approaches, underdeveloped value chains, inadequate traceability systems, and low adoption of modern technologies. 

Challenges relating to feed security, animal health management, insufficient private sector investment, and the limited integration of smallholder farmers into formal markets have also been highlighted.

The policy outlines a vision of creating a modernised and sustainable livestock sector for national renaissance. Its mission focuses on the optimum use of available resources in a technically sound, socio-economically acceptable, and environmentally friendly manner to develop a competitive and sustainable livestock industry that can provide safe and nutritious products at affordable prices while catering to both domestic and international demand.

Private sector development focus

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne, speaking to The Sunday Morning, said that the Government was pursuing a mixed approach of State intervention and private sector participation to develop Sri Lanka’s dairy sector under the National Livestock Policy. 

He noted that several large-scale programmes were already being implemented alongside the policy, with a specific focus on increasing domestic milk production and improving the country’s livestock industry.

Karunaratne explained that multiple programmes were currently underway to improve milk production and support dairy farmers, with investments being made at both institutional and farm levels.

He further noted that one of the key initiatives being implemented was the Dairy Hub project at the veterinary division level. Under this programme, dairy farmers within a particular area are brought together and organised into farmer organisations regardless of the company or institution to which they currently supply their milk. 

Rather than providing assistance to individual farmers, the Government intends to support these organisations collectively in order to improve productivity and develop the sector.

“We are supporting these organisations as a whole, not individual people. At the same time, focus has been placed on increasing the milk yield obtained from a single cow,” he stated.

Karunaratne also highlighted the Government’s plans for livestock development at the Nikaweratiya livestock farm. He said that the facility had been selected as the site for an advanced calf-breeding farm and that plans were underway to import mother cows from Brazil as part of the programme. According to him, significant financial allocations have already been made for these initiatives.

The Deputy Minister added that several major dairy sector programmes were being implemented at present alongside the National Livestock Policy as part of the Government’s broader efforts to improve milk production and develop the livestock sector.

Policy in detail

National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) Chairman Dr. B.C.S. Perera, speaking to The Sunday Morning, said that the new National Livestock Policy was a broad policy framework that covered all sectors of the livestock industry, including dairy, poultry, cattle, goats, and sheep. 

He noted that the policy focused on improving productivity and value chains, addressing sustainability and climate resilience, promoting exports, and creating more opportunities for private sector participation.

Dr. Perera explained that the policy intended to improve the entire livestock value chain, from farm-level production to the point of consumption, while also taking into account consumer rights and needs. It also focuses on protecting local livestock genetic resources and improving them through scientific breeding practices without losing their adaptability to local conditions.

“The livestock industry is highly sensitive to climate change, with changing weather patterns having a major impact on productivity. Through this policy, climate resilience is addressed so that the livestock industry can adjust and mitigate these effects. The policy also creates opportunities for producers to identify export markets and expand their products internationally,” he said.

Dr. Perera noted that the Government intended to promote public-private partnerships and encourage more private sector participation in the livestock industry. He said that the policy sought to modernise the sector through technology adoption, productivity improvements, and export-oriented development.

He explained that one of the policy’s key pillars focused on value chain development, including value addition, infrastructure development, and storage capacity improvements. According to him, many livestock industries in Sri Lanka continue to operate at subsistence level and require structural improvements to become commercially viable.

Referring to the dairy sector, he pointed out that although more than 200,000 people were engaged in dairy farming, the country currently produced only around 1 million litres of milk per day. He said that approximately 92% of dairy farmers produced less than 15 litres of milk daily, which limited their income-generating capacity.

“The Government’s target is to increase milk production from one million litres per day to three million litres within five years. To achieve that, we need technology involvement, better value chains, value addition, infrastructure support, and proper market involvement. We also need to promote private sector investment, including foreign investment. The legal and regulatory framework should facilitate livestock industry development, and this policy addresses those requirements,” he said.

The policy’s second pillar focuses on genetic improvement and breeding management. While Sri Lanka’s local livestock breeds are well adapted to local environmental conditions, the NLDB Chairman noted that their productivity levels remained relatively low. The policy therefore proposes preserving local genetic characteristics while introducing scientifically managed breeding programmes to improve productivity.

The third pillar addresses food security, nutrition, and land utilisation. Dr. Perera noted that while Sri Lanka was self-sufficient in some livestock products, the country remained heavily dependent on imported milk and milk products, highlighting the importance of improving domestic production to safeguard food security during periods of global disruptions.

He added that the policy also recognised the nutritional needs of the population, especially protein requirements among children and vulnerable groups, and promoted the efficient utilisation of land allocated for livestock production.

The fourth pillar focuses on animal health and welfare. Dr. Perera said that disease prevention, biosecurity measures, vaccination programmes, and laboratory capacity improvements were critical components of livestock sector development.

He highlighted digitalisation as another important area addressed by the policy. He explained that a comprehensive database system was required to collect information relating to farms, animal health, breeding, productivity, and stakeholder participation. According to him, digitalisation will improve decision-making and support the industry’s long-term development.

The NLDB Chairman also emphasised the importance of improving access to finance for livestock producers through financial schemes, insurance mechanisms, and financial assistance programmes. The policy aims to facilitate investment while reducing some of the financial barriers faced by existing and prospective livestock entrepreneurs.

Commenting on entrepreneurship development and capacity building, Dr. Perera observed that many small-scale livestock farmers did not yet view livestock farming as a business venture. He said that the policy hoped to encourage farmers to adopt entrepreneurial approaches and improve their technical and financial knowledge.

“We also need extension services, training programmes, and business development support. Women and young people can play a larger role in the livestock industry if the necessary support mechanisms are available,” he noted.

Dr. Perera also pointed out that certain livestock products faced quality and standardisation issues. He stated that the policy recommended introducing proper standards, regulatory mechanisms, and monitoring systems to improve product quality, biosecurity, and food safety. 

He also highlighted concerns around antimicrobial resistance caused by the unnecessary use of antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals in livestock production, warning that such practices could have consequences for both animal and human health.

“The Government’s role is to monitor, regulate, and facilitate the industry’s development. Through this policy, we want to promote investment, research, and innovation while working together with stakeholders to develop the livestock sector in a sustainable and balanced manner,” he said.

Dairy sector

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Milco Chairman G.V.H. Gotabhaya said that the National Livestock Policy came at an important time for Sri Lanka’s dairy sector, particularly given the country’s continued dependence on imported milk and the challenges faced by local milk processors in securing an adequate supply of fresh milk. 

He further noted that the policy’s focus on livestock sector development, especially cattle, aligned closely with Milco’s long-term development plans.

“As a milk-processing company, and as part of Milco’s development mandate, we think the policy’s priorities are very important for our future development. At present, we are producing only one-third of our milk requirement, and Milco is facing difficulties in getting enough milk for processing. If we implement and align ourselves with the livestock policy and the development plans for the livestock sector, especially cattle, we are hopeful that we will be able to get more milk for processing,” he said.

Gotabhaya said that the policy supported two key objectives from Milco’s perspective. The first is improving national food security and meeting the protein requirements of Sri Lankan diets. The second is improving productivity within the industry by increasing milk production, expanding dairy products, and improving income generation throughout the value chain.

He also pointed out that Sri Lanka’s dietary patterns remained heavily dependent on starch-based foods, while animal protein consumption remained comparatively low. Although poultry products have reached relatively satisfactory levels of production, he observed that Sri Lanka still lagged behind regional and international standards in terms of milk consumption and dairy production.

“In neighbouring countries, milk production and consumption levels are much higher. If we can at least reach 200 ml of milk consumption per person per day, it will help improve nutrition and address child malnutrition,” he stated.

Gotabhaya further noted that improved dairy consumption had the potential to contribute positively towards addressing nutritional deficiencies and supporting efforts to manage non-communicable diseases.

Commenting on the policy’s focus on market-oriented and competitive production, he explained that Milco continued to look beyond its traditional role as a milk processor and was placing more focus on working directly with farmers to improve productivity at the farm level.

“Improving productivity among dairy farmers is essential if Sri Lanka is to meet its milk production targets and reduce its dependence on imports. Government initiatives under the national dairy programme complement these efforts. We are expecting to at least double our milk yield within the next five years. We are positive about achieving this target, and we are hopeful that increased milk production will help us expand production further,” he said.

Livestock production concerns

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Sri Lanka Association of Animal Production (SLAAP) President and All-Island Poultry Association President Ajith Gunasekara welcomed the introduction of a National Livestock Policy, noting that having a clear and stable policy framework was important for entrepreneurs and investors operating in the livestock sector.

He explained that both the All-Island Poultry Association and the SLAAP had been invited to submit recommendations for the policy and had highlighted areas that required further attention. He also noted that Sri Lankan agricultural institutions had provided input during the consultation process.

Gunasekara added that the poultry industry already operated based on its own five-year production roadmaps developed in collaboration with the Department of Animal Production and Health.

He observed that the National Livestock Policy appeared to focus mainly on cattle farming and the dairy industry. However, he viewed this positively, stating that a national policy would provide better consistency and help prevent frequent policy changes that created uncertainty within the industry. He added that a national policy framework allowed livestock producers and investors to plan for the future based on clearly defined objectives and programmes.

In Sri Lanka, approximately 75% of livestock production costs are spent on animal nutrition and feed, making it one of the most important areas that the policy must address.

Gunasekara noted that livestock producers were mindful of maintaining affordable prices for consumers and that increasing production costs directly affected the prices paid by the public. He further highlighted that animal feed production should receive more attention under the National Livestock Policy as Sri Lanka faced shortages of raw materials required for domestic animal feed production at present, adding that land constraints had affected the dairy industry. 

“Commercialising grass cultivation and adopting modern technologies are among the measures that could help address these challenges. Improving animal feed production and productivity is essential if Sri Lanka is to develop a competitive livestock industry while keeping livestock products affordable for consumers,” he said.