President Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered to suspend the transportation of beef and mutton at district and provincial level with immediate effect in order to safeguard public health considering the sudden death of cattle, buffalos and goats in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

The President has also instructed the relevant district officers and the Police to act responsibly in this regard, the President’s Media Division reported.

There have been multiple reports of cattle, buffaloes and goats suddenly dying in the vicinity of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu in the Northern Province and Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara Districts in the Eastern Province on Thursday (08) and Friday (09).

According to the statistics by the Department of Animal Production and Health, 358 cattle and 191 goats have died in the Northern Province, while 444 cattle, 34 buffaloes and 65 goats have died in the Eastern Province.

North and East Animal Production and Health Department officials and veterinarians are visiting these places providing necessary health facilities to the animals, the PMD said.

Veterinary Investigation Officers, in the first phase, have conducted preliminary investigations through the District Veterinary Investigation Centers in the respective districts of the Eastern and Northern Provinces, and they suspect that these animals have died due to a shock caused by the unexpected cold weather throughout the country.

Under the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture, the intervention of the Department of Animal Production and Health, it has been decided to commence the laboratory tests today.

Accordingly, a team of veterinarians and officers from the Animal Health Division of the Peradeniya Head Office of the Animal Production and Health Department collected the specimens of the dead animal from Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts today.

Director General of the Department of Animal Production and Health Dr. Hemali Kothalawala said that that specimen of animals will be subjected to laboratory tests at the Gannoruwa Veterinary Research Institute today and tomorrow.

However, the President has ordered to suspend the transportation of beef and mutton at the district and provincial level with immediate effect in order to safeguard the public health, until these research activities are properly concluded and the reports are being released.

--PMD