COMPENSATION TO BE PAID IF CONTRACT IS TERMINATED

Sri Lanka will have to pay US $810 million to Australia as compensation if the contract to import 20,000 cows is to be terminated, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Economy, Livestock Development, Irrigation and Fisheries P. Harrison told Parliament yesterday.

Responding to an oral question raised by UPFA MP Dayasiri Jayasekara in the House, Minister Harrison said the importation of cows had become a crisis because of this reason and the fact that 406 cows died last year.

He said Rs. 992 million had been spent for the importation of 2,489 cows in 2015 , and another Rs 2,317 million for the importation of 5,000 cows in 2017.

Also a sum of Rs 1,624 million has been spent to prepare necessary infrastructure facilities to maintain the cows.

The Minister said these animals have been supplied at Rs 200,000 per cow to the private sector.

Responding to a supplementary question raised by Mr. Jayasekara, Mr. Harrison said the contract for the importation of cows was signed during the last regime. “The first lot was imported during the last regime and the second was imported during the present regime.” the Minister said.

Mr. Jayasekara said the Minister and the government should deal with the issue with utmost diligence. He said Minister and others should not get misled by certain officers even within the ministry.

Also Mr. Jayasekara said redress should be offered to dairy farmers who are severely affected by the crisis. He said Sri Lanka’s milk production had come to a standstill because of the crisis.

JVP MP Nalinda Jayatissa who joined in the cross talk said Bovine Viral disease had started spreading since the importation of cows to the country. However the Minister said some of these diseases had been present in Sri Lanka historically.