Sri Lanka to conduct animal census to address crop damage

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation has announced an animal census scheduled for March 15, 2025, to assess crop damage caused by various animals, including toque macaques, monkeys, giant squirrels, and peacocks.

At a press conference held in Colombo yesterday (March 10), the Secretary of the Ministry, D.P. Wickremasinghe, stated that minimal expenditure has been incurred for the census, as officials providing services have volunteered.

He further explained that although reports on animal-related damages exist, no proper assessment has been conducted so far, making the census necessary.

However, the Chairman of the Coconut Cultivation Board, Dr. Sunimal Jayakodi, expressed concerns over the effectiveness of the census. He stated that counting animals alone would not solve the problem and that such an approach is not entirely accurate.

He also revealed that toque macaques and other animals had damaged approximately 100 million coconuts from the expected harvest last year.

Farmers and the public have urged authorities to implement a proper mechanism to control crop damage rather than limiting actions to conducting an animal census.

They emphasized the need for effective solutions to mitigate losses faced by the agricultural sector due to wildlife interference.

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