Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-10-10

Diagnosis of poultry and fish disease at the Veterinary Investigation Centres (VIC) and upgrading the surveillance facilities

- There has been a higher growth in the poultry, shrimp and ornamental fish industries during the past few years and the shrimp and ornamental fish industries have become the significant sectors generating foreign exchange. It has become a timely need to control the outbreak of various diseases in these fields, to diagnose the diseases and to establish facilities for responding to same expeditiously.

As such, with a view to contributing to the development of those industries, the proposal made by Hon. P. Harison, the Minister of Rural Economy, to enhance the laboratory facilities at the Veterinary Investigation Centres (VIC) at Wariyapola, Chilaw and Welisara, to diagnose the diseases and for surveillance, in accordance with the international standards, was approved by the Cabinet. It was further decided to prepare a programme with the collaboration of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, to provide specialized training in the curative process of the diseases for the veterinary surgeons serving in the centres.