Prof Prathapasinghe to give evidence before PCoI on dairy cattle import case

Professor Gamika Prathapasinghe, a Veterinary Surgeon, will appear before a Presidential Commission today (Jun 19) to give evidence over certain irregularities while importing dairy cows from Australia.

Mr. Prathapasinghe is the Head of the Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science Faculty at the Wayamba University.

A complaint had been filed at the Presidential Commission probing state sector corruption under the current government, regarding the manner in which dairy heifers had been imported to the country.

Today's sitting takes place in the wake of Veterinary Research Officer Dr. Hemal Kothalawala's revelation before the Commission stating that these cattle had been affected with Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD).

The tender to import more than 20,000 dairy cows had been granted to Australia-based company Wellard Rural Exports Pty Ltd by the Ministry of Rural Economic Affairs between 2017 and 2018. 

Amal Suriyage - a dairy farmer who had filed the complaint stated that the required tests to determine the health condition of the cattle had not been carried out while importing them.

Accordingly, these cows which had been sold to dairy farmers had either produced less milk or had died, he said.