Misplaced Pages

NLDB

Article snapshot taken from[REDACTED] with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Sri Lanka's largest state owned livestock and agricultural company
This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources.
Find sources: "NLDB" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
NLDB (National Livestock Development Board)
[REDACTED] NLDB logo
Company typeprivate (state owned)
IndustryLivestock, Food and Agriculture
Founded1973
HeadquartersNo.40, Nawala Road, Colombo - 05, Sri Lanka
Key people
BrandsNLDB
Total assetsDecrease LKR90.billion(US$303.million) (2023)
Subsidiaries
Websitewww.nldb.gov.lk

NLDB (National livestock Development Board), is a leading state-owned enterprise in Sri Lanka, managing 31 of the largest farms across the country. Spanning over 15,000 hectares, the NLDB focuses on livestock breeding, poultry production, integrated crop and livestock management, and value-added dairy products. With a mission to enhance rural livelihoods and support sustainable agriculture. The Board plays a pivotal role in advancing Sri Lanka's agricultural economy while addressing the diverse needs of farmers in various agro-climatic regions. The NLDB engages in diverse activities, including supplying breeding stock, maintaining and developing coconut plantations, producing value-added milk products, and training farmers in integrated crop and livestock management systems.

Currently, the NLDB owns approximately 15,000 hectares of land, making it the second-largest state-owned landholder in Sri Lanka. Of this, about 4,858 hectares of coconut land within the Coconut Triangle.NLDB farms are utilized for various types of livestock, poultry, and agricultural activities. However, due to governmental corruption and poor management in the past, the NLDB, alongside its counterpart Milco, was considered a strain on the Sri Lankan economy. From 2019 to 2023, a deal was drafted by the previous administration to sell the NLDB to a joint venture of cargills and India's Amul. This plan was halted following the inauguration of the current anti-corruption government, the new president of Sri Lanka appointed a new chairman and an executive staff to revitalize the organization and steer it toward sustainable growth and national development.

History

NLDB was established in 1973 under the State Agricultural Corporation Act No. 11 of 1972, with field operations beginning in 1974. In 1977, its functions were redefined to address the decline in the national herd through intensive cattle upgrading programs for milk and draught purposes and salvaging breedable female cattle. The Board also focused on uplifting the socio-economic standards of rural farmers by supplying breeding stock, maintaining coconut plantations, producing value-added dairy products, and training farmers in integrated crop and livestock management. Lands vested under the Land Reform Law were handed over to the NLDB to establish farms for upgrading indigenous herds to high-producing dairy cattle, particularly through crossbreeding with Sahiwal and European breeds such as Friesian and Jersey. In 1992, thirteen underperforming farms managed by the Department of Animal Production and Health were transferred to the NLDB, requiring significant investment to restore their operations.

References

  1. "NLDB assets valued Daily ft".
  2. "Ministry of Finance - Sri lanka". www.treasury.gov.lk. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
  3. National Livestock Development Board. "About NLDB". National Livestock Development Board. Retrieved 2025-01-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. "Ridiyagama farm incurs Rs.173 m loss in 2017, 2018". The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. p. 1. {{cite news}}: Check |archive-url= value (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "Parliament of Sri Lanka - Committee News - COPE reveals that the Ridiyagama farm has incurred a loss of Rs. 173 million in 2017 and 2018". www.parliament.lk. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  6. "Amul to secure Milco & NLDB under 99-yr. lease". 2024-07-15. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  7. "Milco joint venture with India's Amul to boost dairy industry". Times Online. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
  8. "Govt. says plan to lease NLDB and Milco to India's Amul scrapped | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
  9. "State Agricultural Corporations Act". www.srilankalaw.lk. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
This article has not been added to any content categories. Please help out by adding categories to it so that it can be listed with similar articles. (January 2025)
NLDB Add topic