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Crop pest census: Data collection progressing for islandwide report
View(s):By Kasun Warakapitiya
Grama Niladharis countrywide are collecting and processing the information gathered from last week’s count of macaques, languor, giant squirrels and peacocks.
Agriculture Ministry Director (agriculture technology) Hemantha Amarasinghe, who is also a member of the Special Committee for Reducing Damages Caused by Wild Animals (SCRDCWA), said some of the information had reached divisional secretaries and the operations room set up at the ministry for the census.
He said the ministry was expected to collect district results by Friday, March 28 and this would be used for the final islandwide report.
“We expect the final figure to be available by March 31. Thereafter we will map animal distribution within grama niladhari divisions, divisional secretariat areas and at the district level,” he said.
Mr Amarasinghe added that it would take at least a month to analyse the data and another month to submit the final report with recommendations.
Agriculture Ministry secretary D.P. Wickramasinghe said the crop pest numbers were required to devise wildlife management measures.
He said his ministry initiated the census, as these selected animals caused damages to crops, but the next steps should be carried out by the Department of Wildlife.
Meanwhile, Puttalam District’s Agriculture Director B.V. Tharangani Shamalie, referring to last week’s news in the Sunday Times on the count, said that during her visit to the National Livestock Development Board farm at Martin Watta, though she had not spotted any animals and birds, there were others who had spotted and recorded them. The farm covers an area of 450 acres.
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