A recent survey conducted by the Ministry of Livestock Development, revealed that approximately one hundred thousand cattle are slaughtered for human consumption in Sri Lanka annually, K. M. Sumanapala, the Livestock Development officer in Bingiriya said. He was speaking at a meeting of dairy farmers in the Kurunegala District held recently at Bingiriya Agrarian Services Centre.

He said Minister C. B. Ratnayake had decided to stop the slaughter of cattle completely by 2011 and utilise the cattle for some kind of economic development activity.

The prevailing law completely prohibits the slaughter of buffaloes. The slaughter of cows and calves below the age of 12 years was also prohibited and was a punishable offense.

Only 15 per cent of the total consumption of milk was produced locally at present and this amount could be raised to 35 per cent by stopping the slaughter of cattle completely.

"The aim of the government is to produce the total requirement of milk for the country in the coming years and all possible measures will be taken by the Ministry of Livestock Development to reach that target as instructed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa," he said.

W. E. Jayathilake, former Divisional Secretary of Bingiriya and J. Ariyaratne, President of Kurunegala District Dairy Farmers’ Organisation addressed the meeting.