The Cabinet of Ministers has approved Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s proposal to ban cattle slaughter with immediate effect.

Cabinet Spokesman Mass Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told the post Cabinet media briefing held yesterday that the cabinet of ministers also approved a few other proposals tabled by the Prime Minister with regard to the ban on cattle slaughter.

Accordingly, Cabinet approval has been granted to take immediate measures to amend the Animal Act No 29 of 1958, the Cattle Slaughter Ordinance No 9 of 1893 and other related laws and regulations passed by the local authorities regarding cattle slaughter.

The Cabinet of Ministers also approved the proposal to take immediate measures to import beef required to meet local demand and provide them at a concessionary price.Cabinet approval has also been granted to implement a suitable programme for ageing cattle which cannot be used effectively for agricultural purposes.

During this week’s meeting, it was discussed that as a country with an economy based on agriculture, the contribution  of the cattle resource to develop the livelihood of the rural people of Sri Lanka is immense. The Cabinet of Ministers further highlighted that certain parties have pointed out that the livestock resource that is required for traditional farming purposes is insufficient due to the rise of cattle slaughter and the insufficient livestock resource is an obstacle to uplift the local dairy industry, which enables development of the livelihood of the rural people while reducing the substantial amount of foreign exchange attracted towards foreign countries on imported milk powder.