Veterinary Services in Sri Lanka industry trends .
The Livestock Sector is playing a vital role in the local economy for the contribution in food security as well as a rural livelihood. Approximately one million families in the island are engaging in dairy, goat, poultry and swine farming at present and the majority of them represents the rural sector. Other than that there are more number of large scale companies who are engaging with this industry and they make major contribution to the industry growth.
Livestock rearing in Sri Lanka was a rural livelihood activity which utilizes idling labor, underutilized agricultural by products and marginal lands. But currently it has become one of rapidly growing industry where it uses modern technology with well-arranged business operation together with expertise human resources. As an industry livestock has been contributed nearly at 1% to the total GDP of Sri Lanka.
As per statistics published by the Department of Animal Production and Health Sri Lanka (2020) total poultry population is approximately 42 Mn. Per capita availability of chicken meat is 9.8 Kg and per capita availability of egg is 111 Nos.
Companion animal sector also comes under Veterinary Industry which is adding more color to the industry and considered as very competitive with the number of solutions available in Sri Lanka. Companion Animal sector has become one of booming sector under Veterinary industry with the life style change of the Sri Lankan population and the growth of their per capita income. Today, contribution of Pet or Companion Animal Sector has become one of major area where it brings more opportunities to the Veterinary related companies.
As an industry there are more than 80 large and SM companies are engaging with providing solutions for the industry requirement and nowadays, they have become more competitive with their technologically advanced veterinary solutions and other value added services & that has become a major impact on developing the industry to the international level.