The poultry industry the North Western Province of Sri Lanka has been affected by a fowl disease, an opposition parliamentarian told the assembly today.Democratic National Alliance Parliamentary group leader and MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake informed the parliament that 80 percent of the poultry birds in the North Western Province were dying of a fowl disease called 'Ranikhet'.
Dissanayake has said that situation has been made worse due to the suspension of production of the vaccine used to control the disease.
He had explained that the vaccine was developed locally during the 1960s and the production was carried out by the state sector.
However, he had charged that the production had come to a standstill after it was handed over to the private sector some years later.
Dissanayake urged the government to pay attention when importing chicks from various countries.
