JICA supports rural livestock farmers

Friday, 24 December 2010 00:13 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will sign an agreement with the Ministry of Livestock and Rural Community Development, providing assistance under its technical cooperation scheme to conduct an In-Country Training Programme on Animal Husbandry in the North, East mostly and also rest of the Provinces in Sri Lanka.

The training programme, which consists of a series of training courses conducted during a span of three years, will increase the management capacity of livestock farmers in the North, East and rest of the Provinces and thereby contribute to improving the living standards of these farmers including those resettling under the post conflict reconstruction programme. Plans are already under way to conduct the first three training courses in the respective provinces in January 2011.

The curricula of the training courses have been developed by the Animal Husbandry and Milk Processing Training Centers in collaboration with the Department of Animal Production and Health (DOAP&H) and the Provincial Department of Animal Production and Health in North and East Provinces (PDOAP&H-EP/NP) after careful consideration of training needs in the respective regions.

At the end of the training programme, nearly 1000 livestock farmers will have improved livestock rearing and management techniques and improved milk products processing techniques.

“In Sri Lanka farmers who depend on animal husbandry for their livelihood is not a large proportion as that of farmers engaged in agricultural activities however animal husbandry plays an important role in the rural economy. The implementation and follow-up of the training programme we hope will lay a solid and sound foundation enabling smallholders to improve their livestock management skills and earn much-needed cash by marketing milk and other products” says JICA’s Chief Representative in Sri Lanka Mr Akira Shimura

The PDOAP&H–EP/NP, DOAP&H with the recommendation of Veterinary Surgeons in the respective regions will select and nominate participants for the training courses. They will be selected through an application process and from among progressive and prospective farmers, and small scale milk processors. The PDOAP&H–EP/NP, DOAP&H will provide the resource persons, most of them from the JICA ex-training participants in Japan and will monitor the application of know-how by farmers after the training and also coordinate with JICA for any follow-up support.