As the Department of Animal Production & Health confirmed that recent livestock deaths in Northern and Eastern provinces were not caused by any epidemic, meat transportation has been approved from all other areas except Northern Province, the President’s Media Division (PMD) says.
Following an investigation carried out by the Animal Production and Health Department in Peradeniya, it was revealed that the deaths of cattle and goats were, in fact, was due to the shock induced by the severe cold weather conditions.
A report on the matter was handed over to Mahinda Amaraweera, the Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation, on December 13, by the department, thus ruling out concerns that the deaths were the start of a new epidemic.
More than 690 cattle died in the Northern Province, while the total number of goats died in the Northern Province climbed over 290 as a result of the recent adverse weather conditions.
