Nearly 4,000 imported dairy cows dead

A total of 3,991 dairy cows out of the 4,995 imported under credit have died, revealed Auditor General W.P.C. Wickramaratne at the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) meeting held yesterday (24) with the National Livestock Development Board (NLDB).  

He further stated that $ 11.01 million had been paid four years prior, as an advance payment, to import 15,000 more dairy cows, but to no avail.

“A total of 4,995 dairy cows were imported under the relevant credit line. However, it was revealed that 3,991 out of them had died, with only 504 remaining. Another $ 11.01 million had been spent as an advance payment to import another 15,000 dairy cows but now, after four years, there has been no return for this payment,” said Wickramaratne.

Speaking during the meeting, COPE Chairman Prof. Ranjith Bandara stated that the NLDB has been ignored by many Government institutions, which has in turn led to major management issues within the organisation. 

“The NLDB has not had the oversight of the authority of Parliament, the Auditor General’s office, and the Treasury. Moreover, the NLDB has not had an audit and management meeting for 2018. After 50 years since its establishment, the NLDB is only producing 40% of what’s expected with only 1% of the requirement. This has been a loss-making State enterprise for so long, despite occupying one-eighth of the land in the country; with 32 farms spanning 12,000 acres. All these can be attributed to the lack of an action plan, a procurement plan, and a proper budget,” said Bandara.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who was also present at the meeting, questioned the NLDB officials on the yearly requirement of calves, which revealed that only 10% of the requirement is met locally by reproducing only 800 calves yearly. Furthermore, it was revealed that the dairy farmers who have acquired these cows under heavy loans, only to have them die after a period of time, are facing a very serious situation. He stated that it is evident that there is injustice and great fraud taking place within the institution.

The COPE attributed all these failures to the weakening of the internal control in the NLDB, the absence of regulated audits, the non-implementation of the proposed plans and the delays in carrying out plans as well as the absence of checks and balances involving the relevant State institutions such as the Auditor General’s Department and the Treasury.