By Shantha Chandrasiri

March 04 (Daily Mirror) - The milk production from smallholder dairy farms in Nuwara Eliya District has been reduced by over half a million litres last year with the closure of over 2500 such farms being reported from the District, according to the Central Province Department of Animal Production and Health.

Deputy Director,Central Province Department of Animal Production and Health Dr. K.W.M.Dedunupitiya said 6877 out of 9432 smallholder dairy farms in the Nuwara Eliya district have been closed within the year 2023.

He said 54, 836,230 litres of milk had been produced in 2023 and that it marked a decline by 542,389 litres when compared to the previous year.

Dr. Dedunupitiya pointed out several issues affecting the dairy industry had resulted in this state. He said the price hike in forage, shortage of grass and grazing grounds, increasing prices of milch cows, want of a remunerative market for milk, increasing labour and transport costs. shortage of veterinary surgeons to provide instruction to farmers and poor supervision for want of officers had resulted in the declining trend of milk production, and the closure of dairy farms.