The Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi

¶ 01 Thank you. Hambantota has a great saltern, Hon. Presiding Member. Do not use it for politics. It is a place that generates good revenue for the economy. Therefore, create a proper program to carry out its functions properly. Now you have appointed officers. By next year, I will look at the revenue generated; I will ask about it—because it generates income for the country, and is a national resource in our district.

¶ 02 I must mention another matter. Milk powder will increase by Rs. 50. A 400g packet which was Rs. 1,050 has increased by Rs. 50, so it will be Rs. 1,100.

¶ 03 Ridiyagama NLDB Dairy Farm had a good program. In 2023, the farm produced about 15,000–20,000 liters of milk a day. Now it is around 3,500 liters. At that time there were about 2,500–3,000 milch cows. They were sold off and eaten; those who came there ruined it. These are our national assets. Now there are about 1,500 breeding cattle, and about 750–800 milch cows. We do not know what happened to the others. Please investigate. I was told your representative has been appointed. Appoint officers and look into it. Hambantota Salterns and the Ridiyagama farm are two national assets in our district that can generate income for our economy. If the Ridiyagama NLDB Dairy Farm is properly managed, we can provide a glass of milk to every schoolchild in Hambantota District. We hoped to set up such a program, but we could not. I request this now.